textured façades, picket shutters and plinth detailing form multi-dwelling constructing in barcelona

a multi-dwelling complex blending into the modernist environment of barcelona

architecture firm victor bergnes de las casas gabarró unveils ‘ca n’alegre’, a multi-dwelling building in the neighbourhood of vila de gràcia in barcelona, spain. the structure blends into its modernist environment by reinterpreting the composition of the local façades to establish a timeless dialogue. avoiding historicist language, the project favours restrained, timeless construction by means of a volume that blends into its surroundings thanks to its neutral choice of materials and its contemporary compositional character. 

corner view of the ca n’alegre

all images by salva lópez and eugeni pons

a volume split into three parts

victor bergnes de las casas gabarró has split the building into three parts — the plinth base that meets the ground, the main body and the eaves that lighten the volumetry. the plinth or base of the building, formed by rows of exposed brick, seeks to connect with neighbouring properties and blur the topographical difference between the two streets, as it is broken at several heights. the main body, in rough-textured beige, groups its openings into framed smooth sections that break up the weighty image of a unitary volume. over it, the eaves form a light, timeless, classic pavilion, placed on the actual building, thereby distracting from the accentuated height of the building.

reinterpreting folding shutters brings out the wood on the façade, providing a warm tone to the building and filtering the light inside the dwelling. in this way, each user can customise how much light and privacy they want. the proportion of its spaces and grouping of windows into frames create a set of contrasts against the hefty aspect of the building and its apparently disorganised composition gives it certain urban continuity. inside, the storeys are organised through a gallery parallel to the façade that narrows and widens according to the project’s needs, thereby blurring the image of the lengthened storey.

the building blends into its modernist environment by reinterpreting the composition of neighbouring façades

opposite the plot is casa gustà, a modernist property from the early 1900s that marks the boundary with a protected environment

the building blends into its modernist environment by reinterpreting the composition of neighbouring façades

ca n’alegre is a multi-dwelling building in the neighbourhood of gràcia, barcelona