Mistral
Eixample Building Retrofitting

A former office building in Barcelona has been converted into housing through a careful conversion that works with the logic of the existing structure. Commissioned by a single client, the project was conceived as a unified conversion of the entire building. The staircase became the key architectural move. A vertical void was opened through all the floors, allowing a new prefabricated steel structure to be assembled — light and precise, recalling the delicate character of historic industrial metal meshes. From a skylight above, daylight slips down through this vertical space, softly illuminating the collective staircase as it descends through the building. Two apartments occupy each floor, while the open ground level forms a generous entrance space connected to the stair. A simple gesture - carving a void and bringing in light - transforms the building from within. 

Client: Private

In collaboration with Santiago Vives arquitectura
Built area: 945 m²
Completed: 2012
Photography: Francisco Urrutia Guerrero