The Reuse of Housing Buildings in Barcelona. The Versatility of Old Constructive Structures

Abstract

There are 1,463 buildings in Barcelona, from different times from the first century to the present day, that have changed their functions once or more times throughout their life. This paper analyses those cases in which changes in use relate to housing and it does it in two opposite ways: In one way, examining houses –mostly with building structures of bearing walls– that have endured functional modifications without losing its main attributes. In the opposite way around, studying buildings with other uses than housing – many of them built with isotropic structures or large structural spans– that have been converted into dwellings. On the other hand, and in both cases, the analysis addresses how the urban situation of the building conditions the use to which it will tend to be transformed.

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References

[1] X. Monteys, M. Mària, P. Fuertes, R. Sauquet and N. Salvadó. Atlas del aprovechamiento arquitectónico. Estudio crítico de los edificios reutilizados en Barcelona, MINECO 2016-2018.

[2] Plan General Metropolitano de Barcelona, 1976.

[3] Los cinco puntos para una nueva arquitectura de Le Corbusier eran: los pilotis, la terraza ajardinada, la planta libre, la ventana alargada y la fachada libre. Ver: Le Corbusier et Pierre Jeanneret (1926): Les Cinq Points d'une Architecture Nouvelle

[4] Le Corbusier et Pierre Jeanneret (1926): op. cit.