In the historic centre of the municipality of Ruidoms (Tarragona), the architects of Gallego Arquitectura + V.Niubó Arquitectura have refurbished an early 20th century building. The project was nominated in the restoration category of the 12th Alejandro de la Sota Biennial.

The pre-existing building posed a challenge due to its particular "L" shape, a shape that was established as a result of the merger of two old houses with complex and irregular geometries.
The intervention building by Gallego Arquitectura + V.Niubó Arquitectura is internally divided by an inner courtyard which will serve to determine two areas with different programs. There is a simplification of the rooms with a cross visual richness that can be appreciated from anywhere.

We find spaces for day use and spaces for night use. This categorization avoids the use of corridors and forms a point of entry of natural light that structures the parts of the building.

The day area evokes the symbolism and memory of the previous works by preserving its original structure, leaving it exposed. It has two skylights as light sources and natural ventilation.

The night area corresponds to the areas of less activity and better comfort, seem to move into a secondary perceptual zone with respect to their opposing spaces.
 

Description of project by Gallego Arquitectura + V.Niubó Arquitectura

The project was carried out on a multi-family building between party walls, located in the old centre of the town. The original building dates from before 1900 and is the result of an agglomeration of old dwellings with complex geometries.

The intervention affects several floors of the building. The first floor is L-shaped and is the result of joining two dwellings from different periods, which are linked by an interior courtyard that will allow the day and night programmes to be connected.

On the ground floor is situated the car park and on the first floor the attic.

Architectural proposal
The architectural proposal aims to divide two zones, the night zone and the day area. These are forming a well of light that will articulate the pieces and avoid corridors.

The intervention was carried out by combining the use of original materials and current materials with the aim of highlighting the original architecture.

Day area
The intervention aims to show the memory of the past, maintaining the ceramic ceiling with metal structure, the hydraulic paving and the staircase with a Catalan twist, under the concept of stripping the building.

On the ground floor, there are two skylights, making the negative between them with respect to the forging of the first floor.

The first skylight has a more relevant presence; it introduces light into the whole day area and natural ventilation, and is the main protagonist of the floor plan.

The second skylight, or stair cap, with wood and polycarbonate, has the opposite objective to the inner courtyard, to act as a lantern for the attic.

Night zone
This zone coincides with the areas of less activity and greater comfort.

The intervention is totally neutral and does not play a leading role in relation to the day area.

Concepts
The aim is to simplify the spaces as much as possible, opening up the floor plan, looking for crossed views and extending the spatial relationship.

The intervention consists of maintaining those architectural elements that contextualize the building with the past.

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Architects
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Design team
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Xavier Gallego Seuba, Vanessa Niubó Martin.
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Collaborators
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Michele Terlitzi.
Armand Pons.
Ingrid Brú.
Aleixo Llorenç.
Structure.- Àfrica Caserras.
Engineering.- Josep M Delmus.
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Dates
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2019-2021.
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Location
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Riudoms, Tarragona, Spain.
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Photography
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Oriol Gómezal | ogomez.
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Gallego Arquitectura is an architecture studio that was founded in 2015 by Xavier Gallego Seuba, located in the town of Reus in the offices of REDESSA, Tarragona.

Its activity since its inception covers different types of architecture, urban planning and design. As a multidisciplinary office, they are able to work in all areas of creative and design processes.

Architect graduated from the Ramon Llull University in Barcelona. He has worked for Reus City Council in the area of architecture and urban planning during his architectural studies.

With a scholarship from IAESTE, he stayed at UFV, the Federal University of Architecture and Urbanism of Viçosa in Brazil, where he worked as a collaborating professor in the Department of Architecture and Urbanism, in the areas of projects and urbanism.

He has worked at Barcelona City Council in the Urban Habitat department in the office of the architect en cap with Vicenç Guallart, Dr. Architect Jaume Barnada and architect Montse Domínguez.

He has collaborated in the design of Gabriel Bosques architect. He has collaborated in the design of Joan Tous, Tous arquitectes.

He has been a town planning councillor for Riudoms Town Council and a regional councillor.

During his individual career he started his own office Gallego Arquitectura, carrying out various projects and guiding multiple competitions.

In 2018 he joined forces with Vanessa Niubó, creating GIN_arquitectes, facing a new stage of joint work.
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V.Niubó Arquitectura is a multidisciplinary office with services in architecture, urban planning, landscaping, renovations and interior design. It was founded by Vanessa Niubó Martin in 2014 and is located in Cambrils, Tarragona, on the Costa Dorada.
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