The proposal is located in a singular urban position, where the south façade becomes a visual element of reference for the factory. Inside, the immediate understanding of the building is generated through the visual relationships and the transparencies that are established between the different levels of the building.
Project description by Antonio Montes Gil
The project of the library in the Molí building in Molins de Rei is located in the former Ferrer i Mora textile factory, which dates from 1858.
In terms of the layout of the program, the library was located on the upper two floors of the building. A future facility will occupy the rest of the ground floor and the first floor. This location defines a new cross-section of the roof which restores the factory’s original silhouette and terraces, incorporates natural light, and allows users to enjoy the views from this floor.
The fact that the Passeig del Terraplè does not follow the line of the Mill has left this building in a surprising position. Thus, the southern façade has become a visual referent of the factory. The former lateral façade, which was almost entirely blank, has been transformed into a gallery that allows light inside, filtered through a ceramic and glass lattice wall. Within this area, there is an indoor reading zone, the emergency staircase, and the entrances to the future municipal facility.
The vertical communication core and the equipment elements are located in the center of the building. This open core, which connects the different sections, has a system of intersecting walkways around a staircase suspended from the ceiling which provides an immediate understanding of the building via the visual relationships and transparencies among the different levels. The imprints and textures of the past have been conserved in the walls and the irregularities where the pulleys and belts used to be attached.
The project revolves around the restoration of the materials on the façade and the recovery of the original, open-plan interior structure consisting of a vault supported by cast-iron columns with wooden beams resting on them.
Part of the basement has been incorporated into the ground floor to expose the former lower concourse, including the factory’s original double turbine, which was uncovered during construction.
