Born Cultural Centre
Barcelona ES
Soria/Quintana Arquitectes
Rafael Cáceres
2012
Type
Cultural
Tags
memory spaces , cultural facilities, civic spaces, second life, Spain ccc
Visitability
Allowed
Description
This cultural facility exists as a piece of living Catalan history, based on the restoration and conversion of a market built in 1876 into a covered public space for the city. The market closed in 1971 after almost a century of trading and the decision was made in 1998 to convert it into a museum. In 2003, however, once the works began, archaeological remains were discovered, which changed the original plans for this space. The remains discovered were of the ancient La Ribera neighbourhood, destroyed after the victory of the Bourbons in the War of Succession. Due to their historical significance, the city decided to preserve the remains and turn the space into a cultural centre. The project, by the architects Enric Soria and Rafael Cáceres, has conceived the central space as a large, covered public square from which to observe the different layers of the city. The old urban layout is left uncovered, occupying the central zone of the space and forming two trenches over which the pedestrian traffic of the public areas can flow. In addition, the old market building includes four partitioned spaces for cultural uses that require climate-controlled rooms. The various materials and colours used are in keeping with the two main elements of the space, the 19th century market structure and the 18th century ruins below.