Office building refurbishment Manuel de Falla
Gabriel Allende Gil de Biedma
Madrid, Spain
A thorough refurbishment of a 1960s building in disuse has brought Calle Manuel de Falla 7 to the pinacle 2017 COAM Awards.

After a first visit to the original compacto brick volume 91 meters long and 15 wide, a design was conceived that centered on two strategies qually: get more out of the available space, and make the roof a complement of the built space underneath.

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© Jesús Granada

The first strategy involved moving the circulation core off the center of the floor plan and recovering the half-basement level, and was executed though a major structural subtraction operation which – along the facade of entry from Manuel de Falla – created an exterior courtyard that opens up the entire floor plan and is complemented by the intervention carried out in the rear facade, which takes advantage of the ramp leading to the parking levels to capture natural light. The result is a floor level lit through both long elevations.

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© Jesús Granada
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© Jesús Granada
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© Jesús Granada
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© Jesús Granada
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The second design strategy is directed at the roof space, which has been turned into a communal place that can be used for different purposes, from open-air events to extra space for workers.

Image of 6 07 scaled in Office building refurbishment Manuel de Falla - Cosentino
© Jesús Granada
Image of 7 08 scaled in Office building refurbishment Manuel de Falla - Cosentino
© Jesús Granada

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