The Eixample district in Barcelona has a public facilities plan according to population and needs in each neighbourhood. Under this plan the area of the project requires a new library and a nursery school, and the public housing stock needs to be expanded.
The chosen site (6548 m2) occupies half of a block, together with an existing residential building which has to be conserved and integrated into the new project. The most important adjacent buildings are the Ninot Market and the Hospital Clínic, both with huge volumetric presence that will be of great influence on the new design.
The underlying idea is to create a hybrid building combining different programs, different management and thus different users, considering human fluxes an opportunity for events and socialization. Bringing back the philosophy of Ildefons Cerdà’s urban plan for Barcelona is also very important, and it is reflected in the treatment of the public space and the ground floor.
