DIARI ARA HEADQUARTERS

Location Peu de la Creu 5-9, Barcelona
Customer  Diari ARA
Surface Area  900 m2
Date Septiembre 2021 – Diciembre 2022
Photographer  Eugeni Pons
Authors of the project  Bea Bombí Interiorist + Elvira Gómez Architect and bv-tallerarquitectura

In September 2021, we were given a renovation project of an unused office building in the Raval neighborhood to create the new headquarters of the Diari Ara.

It is situated on the ground floor of a residential building in the emblematic neighborhood of Raval. It is an “L” shaped unique space that presents a ground floor plan and a mezzanine. The space is divided into 4 modules: zones 1, 2, and 3 are not connected on the ground floor, however, they can be accessed in the mezzanine. On the other hand, the opposite is applied to zones 3 and 4.

The biggest challenge was the functional organization, as we had to distribute all of the sections and departments of the news. We had to transform the office’s dynamic, that used to have a concentric structure in the shape of a ring, into a linear one. Although there are limitations to it, as the uproar of the news requires a good connection between the team members, we had to bring this concept back into the linear structure.

It has been proposed that the main entrance will be located at the street corner, where the reception and interview desks correlate with the street and the city.

By going up the stairs at this zone, the main and most private area of the Diari Ara can be found: the writing department, which extends from the mezzanine into zone 1, which consists of the board department. On the contrary, when walking to the left from the reception area on the ground floor, zone 4 can be found. This area was projected to be used mainly as an office space, but can, occasionally, be used for presentations or socio-cultural relations.

It’s important to notice that the rehabilitation and adequacy that were applied in the glass facade, maintained the original iron structure and made adjustments to each zone, in which the emergency exit doors adapted followed the requirements of the regulations.

Another major intervention was the renovation of all of the installations to promote better performance of all activities.

Interiormente se ha apostado por espacios diáfanos y funcionales a los que se ha dotado de calidez gracias al parquet de roble, al color yeso de la caja interior, y a las mamparas de vidrio con estructura madera pintada.

Inside this neutral box, it brings individuality and personality to the space, which was settled with design from local furniture.