The Barcelona-based architecture firm External Reference, founded by the Italian architect Carmelo Zappulla, has carried out the new reform of the M-Store space at the Moritz factory in Barcelona.

The Moritz factory was renovated by Jean Nouvel in 2011, in order to preserve it after 30 years closed, being the first brewery in Barcelona in 1856. Today in the factory spaces there is a restaurant/bar, equipped with the Beer brewed on the lower floor, a store of items related to the world of beer and numerous rooms where various events are held. So it became a multidisciplinary space.
The project designed by External Reference had to fit in properly to modernize the environment already renewed by Jean Nouvel. The design creates a environment with materials that are compatible with pre-existing color and texture.

While retaining the structure and the bar that Jean Nouvel designed, they carried out a series of microinterventions, one of them being the lighting design, which differs from the color palette of the environment and at the same time improves it, to guarantee a warm and nice atmosphere to create a reflex space around the beer.
 

Project description by External Reference & Chu Uroz

The Moritz factory is since 1856, one of the first breweries in Barcelona, and one of the first to brew craft beer. Although this factory was closed for 33 years it was reformed by the Architect Jean Nouvel in 2011 and after this great leap our client asked us to turn the space around based on this remodeling.

We decided to preserve the shell, the bar and the shelves of the entrance adding a more brewer aesthetic related to the hipster culture of craftsmanship. This is also becoming a whole reflection around the beer.

The first thing we did was moving the existing bar to give space to the new bar in an "L" shape of about 6 meters that reaches the window, serving as a manifesto to the outside while simultaneously integrating the interior. This bar embodies 3 tanks in the lower part and 3 in the upper part that connect directly to the tanks of the factory located below where the beer is produced. These long tubes deliver the unpasteurized beer from production to consumption. This new bar is characterized by the material and aesthetic qualities of the Jean Nouvel bar.

In addition, this bar is filled with limited-edition beers in one-liter bottles. The graphic elements and signage are modified according to the requirements.

The tanks that store the beer also become exhibitors to sell the bread in glass lights leading you from the entrance to the unique furniture made with a tank’s section in the second part of the "L" space making up the M-store.

This second space is characterized by colonizing the walls where the brand t-shirts, gadgets, merchandising elements and books related to the world of beer are exhibited.

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Architects
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Project team
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Francesco Sacconi, Javier Alascio.
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Collaborators
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Light Designer.- D&L Lights, Edgar Dominguez.
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Client
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Moritz
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Builder
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Oxido Taller, Barcelona Glass Studio.
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Area
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120 sqm
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Dates
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Completion.- 2019.
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Location
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Ronda de Sant Antoni, 41, 08011 Barcelona, Spain.
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External Reference Architects, a firm led by Carmelo Zappulla, active in design and research in the fields of sensorial spaces, interior design, architecture, and landscape design.  He received “New Italian Blood” 1st prize as best Italian office under 36 (2010), with the International Awards: 1st Prize InArch best Author Restaurant (2017), 1st Prize SBID (Society of British International Design) International Design Award (Restaurant Design, 2017), 1st Prize in EXHIBITOR Magazine’s 29th Annual Exhibit Design Awards competition (2014) and Runner Up at Europan 8.

Carmelo Zappulla is a PhD architect and founding partner of Barcelona based External Reference Architects. He studied architecture at the Università degli Studi di Palermo, graduating with Honors and special mention, and holds a PhD (European Mention) with Honors from Universidad Politécnica de Catalunya, Barcelona.

He is currently Faculty member at IAAC (Instituto de Arquitectura Avanzada de Catalunya), he is the director of the Master in Experiential design at LCI Barcelona, and at IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), he was for 7 years the director of the Master’s Degree program. He collaborates with international architectural schools and institutions, including Strathclyde University, WSA (The Welsh School of Architecture), the Department of Architecture at Cardiff University, Wales, Uk. Moreover, he is member of Giras-Tec, international research group architecture and society, Barcelona School of Architecture, UPC, Spain.

His work has been exhibited at the Biennale in Venice, during the 12th International Architecture Exhibition, at MAXXI, Rome, at Eme3, Barcelona, Europan 8, Oslo.

His publications include scientific articles published by Routledge and projects published in Future, Il Sole 24 ore, LA Vanguardia, Blueprint, Materia, Frame, Dezeen, Domus, in the books Architect's notebook and Architectural process 2014 by Damdi Publishing co, among others.
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