Background
Abat Oliba University, located on the Bellesguard Campus, needed to expand due to the growing demand for postgraduate programs. This site in Barcelona, adjacent to the Bellesguard Tower, offers privileged views of the city and the Mediterranean.

Context
The project addresses this need through the construction of an annex building that respects the historical and architectural context. The campus includes the former Convent of the Redeemer, designed by Bernardí Martorell in the 1920s, and its 1995 extension by Miquel Àngel Armengou. It also borders the Bellesguard Tower, a key work by Antoni Gaudí (1900–1909) and a symbol of Catalan modernism.

The Project
The new classroom building seeks to integrate respectfully into its surroundings, emphasizing the heritage value of the site. Its prismatic, monochromatic design serves as a neutral backdrop that highlights the Bellesguard Tower. The façade, made of micro-perforated and folded metal panels, creates a play of shadows and reflections, achieving a light and ethereal effect, contrasted by a solid stone base.

The new access gardens, resulting from the demolition of former buildings, enhance the presence of Gaudí’s tower and reveal a historic wall, restoring the site’s legacy. The landscape design also uncovers remnants of the Palace of Martí l’Humà (1396–1410), creating a dialogue between medieval, modernist, and contemporary elements.

The building’s layout follows the Special Urban Plan: large classrooms on the ground floor (including an auditorium), smaller classrooms on the first floor, and gathering spaces and a terrace on the second. Basement level -1 houses administrative areas and smaller classrooms, while the lower basement levels provide parking, optimizing usable space on the upper floors.