The "Planas i Casals – Triomf" building, designed by Sau Taller d'Arquitectura, comprises seven apartments distributed across three floors. On each floor, the apartments are arranged around a central core that houses the bathrooms, utilities, and elevator. Elements such as balconies and sills maintain the vertical proportions of the existing windows and French doors, while the facade walls are finished with a cornice to ensure continuity with the surrounding composition.
For the project's renovation, the facades and interior structural walls were preserved, the foundation was reinforced using micropiles, and an interior steel structure of HEB and IPE profiles was constructed. Inside, the steel structure was left exposed, and the aesthetic composition is based on a combination of white on the walls, ceiling, and sidewalk structure, and wood on the flooring, windows, French doors, and some elements in the kitchen and bathrooms.
"Planas i Casals – Triomf" by Sau Taller d'Arquitectura. Photograph by Andrés Flajszer.
Project description by Sau Taller d'Arquitectura
The project aims to rehabilitate and expand two early 20th-century terraced houses located on the corner of Carrer del Triomf and Carrer de Planas i Casals in Badalona, transforming them into a seven-unit apartment building distributed across three floors.
The apartments are organized around a central service core and open onto the street through new facade openings that preserve the proportions and dimensions of the existing architecture. The result is a residential building that integrates seamlessly into the established urban fabric, highlights the historical significance of the site, and improves living conditions.
Preserving the Existing Structure
The project makes a conscious effort to conserve as many existing elements as possible. The facades and interior structural walls are maintained. To make it viable, the foundation has been reinforced using micropiles, and an internal steel structure has been built—a framework of HEB and IPE profiles that, together with the composite steel decking, serve a dual purpose: relieving the original ceramic masonry walls of structural responsibility and supporting the entire structure against horizontal forces.
Functionality and Order
The staircase is positioned against the neighboring party wall, maximizing the facades to ensure better natural light and ventilation for the apartments.
The existing central wall is preserved and acts as a partition between the vertical circulation core and the apartments. This core houses the more technical elements (bathrooms, utility courtyards, elevator, etc.), a strategy that not only frees up facade space but also provides flexibility in the interior layout of the apartments to adapt them to different usage requirements.
Formal Strategy
The main pre-existing elements, such as balconies and sills, are preserved. Furthermore, the existing vertical proportions of windows and French doors are maintained to create new openings that ensure light and ventilation in all rooms. The facade walls are finished with a small cornice, following the compositional strategy of the surrounding area.
A few small balconies with steel structures are included, clearly identifiable as contemporary elements, providing an exterior access to the common areas of the apartments and adding a touch of movement to a facade with a very strict composition.
Interiors
Inside, the steel structure is left exposed and, painted white, adds texture and depth to the ceilings, while also reflecting light into the apartments. Again, this structure is clearly identifiable in contrast to the original ceramic brick walls. Ultimately, the design works with two elements: white and wood. The white of the walls, the bright white of the ceilings and steel structure, and the white of the furnishings (doors, kitchens, etc.). Wood is found in the flooring, windows and French doors, and in some unique elements in the kitchens and bathrooms.
The project achieves a balance between preserving the historical heritage and introducing contemporary elements that improve functionality and the quality of life for residents. The combination of materials, structural transparency, and attention to natural light allow for the creation of modern homes without losing the building's original identity, demonstrating that respectful renovation can be both innovative and sensitive to the urban context.
