Social Housing Barcelona, Santa Caterina - EMBT Arquitectes Associats
Reportage about collective residential projects realised by the Patronat Municipal de l'Habitatge de Barcelona (PMHB) in the last years.
Photo (Stefano Ferrando) and text (Francesco Cocco) from Social Housing Barcelona, ListLab, 2019
The residences with services for those over the age of 65, designed by Enric Miralles and Benedetta Tagliabue, are part of the regeneration program of the entire area of Avenida Cambo, together with the intervention in the old market of Santa Caterina, which is a highly degraded section of the old town. The residential building generates a curved space, and the difference in height produced by the waved roofing of the opposite market creates a fluid public space. The relationship between the building and the market is necessary in order to understand this architectural work. The two spaces merge together at some points, creating small public spaces with a strong urban feeling which enriches the entrances to the market and corresponds well to the historical residences. The centrality of the building guarantees the proximity to public services, green areas, transportation and those activities which allow the elderly to live their lives independently.
