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barcelona maritime passenger terminal

the building acts as a gateway from the port to the sea . a formal simplicity reinforces the power and presence of the building, which compensates for its relatively small scale, a result of being situated within a working industrial port. the building optimizes the site area by picking up on the two main axes of the site, the main road through the port on one side and the bridge on the other. 

the building is read as one solid volume, with two chunks cut out forming canopied entrance areas on either side of the building. the 'cut-out', areas expose two light, fully-glazed entrance facades to the east and west, which create a transparency through the building volume from the city towards the sea. sun-protection is provided both by the cantilevered canopy and a series of metal grilles. the short facades and roof are clad in solid, dark metal panels which heighten the contrast with the lightweight glazed entrances. 

internally the building is read as one large column-free space. an office floor is suspended within it, which defines a double volume to the east allowing panoramic views of the ferries. the program elements are treated as autonomous objects sitting within the main space. 

the floor finish extends the existing landscaping - a dark, neutral stone - to enhance the sensation of permeability and transparency.

adress: moll de ponent. barcelona

surface area: 1.100 m²

project: abril - novembre 2005

tender information completed. not built.

architects: olga tarrasó and julià espinàs + vora arquitectura (pere buil castells and toni riba galí) + graeme mcquaker

project team: arnau boronat

structure: i84 oficina consultora sl (nilo lletjós)

services: milian associats sa (josep maria milián)

budget control: bima & partners (carles bima puig)

client: barcelona port authority

images: arnau boronat