Located in Barcelona’s former industrial district of Poblenou, the intervention at La Escocesa transforms the old Foseco warehouse into a space for artistic production and public engagement. Spanning over a decade of development, the project reframes spatial relationships between infrastructure, public space, and heritage through precise architectural gestures.
The design establishes a new urban connection by introducing a transversal cut that links Bolivia Avenue to Pere IV Street. This incision not only facilitates pedestrian flow but repositions La Escocesa as a cultural walkway within the city fabric. A second cut separates the artists’ workshops from the building’s facilities, expressing latent tensions in building regulations through a new façade.
At the heart of the intervention is an oversized internal corridor—an unconditioned, shared space housing utilities like sinks, toilets, benches, and vegetation. A reflective, thermally-insulated ceiling reinforces its passive climate strategy, functioning as a buffer zone. Climate responsiveness is further articulated in a concrete wall designed to retain thermal inertia and radiate heat.
The spatial organization resists conventional distribution, opting instead for a porous and flexible layout. The project culminates in a simple yet deliberate perforation—opening a direct connection between the new public plaza and the exhibition gallery.
