Type: Competition
Client: Europan / Ministry of Transports, Mobility and Urban Agenda / Barcelona City Council's Area of Urban Ecology
Program: Industrial Estate
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Size: 72 500 m2
Year: 2021
Status: Ongoing
Award: 1st Prize Winner
Industrial Re-Evolution is the proposal to develop and transform Torrent de l’Estadella, an industrial estate in the periphery of Barcelona. The main objectives of this scheme are: renature the industrial estate, closer to its original condition as an environmental torrent; connect and integrate the industrial area with the adjacent city, through a series of public space and infrastructure interventions; and ensure that Torrent de l’Estadella maintains its productive character, proposing a new hybrid-industrial building typology and generating points of reference for the city through icons.
Site Plan - Torrent de l'Estadella
Torrent de l’Estadella is part of Barcelona’s metropolitan industrial belt and one of the few industrial zones which are still within the limits of Barcelona municipality. As a consequence, Barcelona’s residential areas have grown around it, making the industrial estate a barrier within the city. In order to connect Sant Andreu de Palomar and El Bon Pastor neighbourhood, the proposal is concentrated on the north area of Torrent de l’Estadella generating a continuous link.
In terms of environmental aspects, Torrent de l’Estadella was originally a pluvial torrent, which was transformed into agricultural lands, and later on into the present industrial estate. Currently, a linear park is being developed adjacent to the site, not only improving the recreational activities and the ecological value of the area, but also connecting Torrent de l’Estadella with the city center of Barcelona. The proposal takes advantage of this park and extends its use all across the site, merging the ecological value of the Camí Comtal Park, with the tree-lined streets of El Bon Pastor neighbourhood and the Besòs River.
The last territorial considerations are in terms of infrastructure: to connect the Torrent de l’Estadella industrial estate with the adjacent one below using the existing bridge that hovers above the train tracks, in order to improve industrial mobility and exchange of resources between industrial estates; and to build an eco energy plant that can supply heat and power to the new neighbourhood and surrounding residential areas.
Site Section
Territorial Implementation Strategies
Shared-Industrial Street Evolution
Evolution - Torrent de l'Estadella
The proposal is conceived as a series of phases or urban stages, that evolve the industrial estate into a hybrid livable-productive neighbourhood, while maintaining the industrial activity within each phase.
The first stage: the Re-Generative phase, consists of giving a second life to deteriorated or abandoned structures within Torrent de l’Estadella. At this stage, a series of hybrid buildings are developed adjacent to Camí Comtal Park, including a parking-residential-park structure that serves both Torrent de l’Estadella and Sant Andreu Comtal Station across the park; this building also creates a pedestrian connection between the site and the new park. In addition, two key buildings are also included at this stage: the Urban Living Room and the Eco Energy Plant. The Urban Living Room consists of the recondition of an existing industrial building and its transformation into a covered public plaza, while the Eco Energy Plant incorporates heat and power production across the site and provides it with a roof-park that can host multiple events.
The second stage: the Re-Integrating phase, includes the replacement of several existing buildings with new hybrid residential-industrial buildings, as well as an improvement of the public space within buildings.
The last stage: the Re-Evolution phase, consists of the integration and activation of all structures within the site, including new structures and re-integrated ones. By this stage, some buildings will start evolving and changing their use, such as the parking building integrating co-working spaces within, or new more permanent uses in the urban living room.
Hybrid-Industrial Building Diagram
