DETAILS

Site: Barcelona
Use: Research, Healthcare, Culture, Sports

Description
The Biomedical Research Park is located on the Barcelona seafront, next to the Hospital del Mar. The environs of the site are characterized by the proliferation of singular buildings: the two large towers of the Olympic Village, the new Gas Natural building, a small tower of housing units, the mono-block tower of the Hospital del Mar, the fish sculpture by Frank Gehry and a sports center in the process of restoration. The strategy before this setting has been to absorb the sports center in the process of restoration into the complex of the Biomedical Research Park, placing it beneath it. Furthermore, we sought a volumetry that did not wish to compete in height with the nearby buildings, but which formally relates to and maintains a dialogue with all of them.

PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center side elevation sketch by Manuel Brullet

We proposed a large platform that arranged the site which was quite irregular. The placing of a building raised in the form of a trunk with an elliptical cone, cut diagonally, has enabled us to organize the setting and relate calmly with the nearby volumes. The elliptical shape arises from the need to adapt a very large building (some 35,000 m2 above ground level) on a very tight-fitting site, irregular in shape and with different surrounding volumes.

The construction was planned necessarily compact to adapt to the site, but scales down towards the sea, softening the seafront and adapting to the buildings of the promenade, which in this part are low in height. At the back, on the side facing the city, it was decided to raise the building since it had sufficient space. This staggered form towards the sea enables solar plaques to be placed on the roof to produce hot water and electricity.

The interior of the building is emptied to create a new reality independent of the setting, which frames and controls the sea views, and which also enables the sunlight to be controlled. The structure of the building is suspended some 7 meters all around its perimeter. The covering of the façade was planned in light, wooden openwork, without touching the ground; the aim is to take away weight in a building which for its compact and unitary conception is large. This second skin must enable good light and energy control of the building

PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center birds eye view of the model designed by Brulletdeluna
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center front eye level view of the model

PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center site plan
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center front elevation
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center back elevation
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center first floor floor plan
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center second floor floor plan
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center third floor floor plan
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center transversal section
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center longitudinal section
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center all floor plans
PRBB Barcelona Biomedical Research Center facade section construction detail

Project Name: Barcelona Biomedical Research Center (PRBB)
Site:  Dr. Aiguader Street, 88, 08003 Barcelona
Use: Research, Healthcare, Culture, Sports
Project date: 04-2000
Construction start date: 05-2003
Construction end date: 05-2006 / 03-2011
Property: Ajuntament de Barcelona, Consorci de la Zona Franca, D.U.R.S.I.
Land area: 10.120  m²
Floor area: 55.491 m²

Authors: Manuel Brullet i Tenas, Alfonso de Luna i Colldefors
Contributors: Jaume Piñol, Xavier Llambrich, Raúl García, Toni Montes, Volker Zimmermann, Elisabet Solé, Estefanía Aguado
Surveyors: Frances Xurigué, Ardèvol I Associats
Facilities: JG Ingenieros, S.A.
Structure: Manuel Arguijo y Asociados S.L.
Builder: ACS COMSA
Photographer: Lluís Casals, Ferran Mateo, Juny Brullet, Manuel Serra
Awards:
Winner, FAD Opinion Award 2007
Finalist, 2007 FAD Architecture Award
Winner, Red Cedar Award 2010
Winner, BCN Meeitng Point Award 2008
Publications:
01- PRBB, Ed. de l’Eixample, 2010
02- Alis working together not yet two years 06/04 04/06
03- Detail, 2002, pp 20
04- El Consorci Zona Franca de Barcelona Memòria anual 2004
05- Oficinas, nº263, 2006, pp 62-72
06- Promateriales, nº10, 2007, pp 8-17
07- Quotidiana Barcelona nº35, 2008, pp. 8-11
08- ON Diseño 288, Desembre 2007,
09- plataformaarquitectura.cl (link)
10- archdaily.com (link)
11- arquitecturacatalana.cat (link)
12- world-architects.com (link)