Massana School of Art and Design

The project was born tracking the site.

In contraposition with the housing block, which tries to dissolve into the context, in “La Massana” School building we looked for singularity.

In the housing we wanted to express domestic scale, whereas in the school we work with a larger and more abstract scale. We want to avoid the school to be the main element in the square, and for that reason we place its main entrance in front of the future connection with the “Biblioteca de Cataluña” patio and we create a new public space between the Gardunya Square and the Canonge Colom square. The result is a dynamic building; which façade avoids frontality towards “La Gardunya” Square.

The school’s interior space, open and unitary, is visible from all points of view. A terrace et the end of each corridor opens the building to the square, responding to the professors’ will to be able to have open spaces.

Although each façade of the school is explained in relationship to its context-always diverse- and despite the site’s fragmented geometry, we believe we have achieved to create a building with a strong unitary presence.

The school, an institution for future craftsmen and designers, it requests singularity and with this idea we cover it with a ceramic material of large dimensions, handmade and unique to our building, which will help us give a singular and iconic feature.