Picharchitects / Pich - Aguilera

Aura’s Insurance Company Building

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Simón García

AURA’S INSURANCE COMPANY BUILDING

Pich-Aguilera Architects

ARCHITECTS
Pich-Aguilera Architects

ARCHITECT IN CHARGE
Pich-Aguilera Architects

INSTALLATIONS
RAC Arquitectura

MANUFACTURERS
Finsa, Contractart, Danosa

MEASUREMENT
Enric Vijande

SPECIALIST
Angel Sendarrubias

PRINCIPAL TEAM
Felipe Pich-Aguilera. Teresa Batlle. Margherita Aricó. Jordi Camps. Jordi París. Pau Casaldaliga. Ute Müncheberg. Angel Sendarrubias.

CPNSTRUCTION
Calaf

PHOTOGRAPHS
Simón García, Alberto Tallón

AREA
1194 m²

YEAR
2016

LOCATION
Santa Coloma De Gramenet, Spain

CATEGORY
Offices

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón

This report is about the integral remodeling of Aura’s insurance company building, located in the urban center of Santa Coloma de Gramenet, inside the metropolitan area of Barcelona.

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón

The project main objectives are the integral remodelling of the current building in order to update and revitalize its image from the street side view, make flexible, optimize and modernize the interior spaces, as so to adequate the building’s overall to its new needs and accessibility.

The current building had had, throughout his life, numerous alterations, mainly on its underground levels, ground level and attic.

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón

The need of providing it with a new customer service forced the appearance of wider spaces, make the accesses easier and supply them with natural zenithal lightning.

The restoration is based principally on achieving open spaces; improve light conditions, ventilation and natural comfort, with the consequent optimization and improvement of the installations, finishes and the corporative image of the company.

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón

There are three special remarkable aspects of the architectural ensemble, the building image from its main façade, which dialogues with the local government; the possibility to provide exterior space, place of cohabitation and rest; and as a last point the need to supply lower levels with natural light from a big skylight.

A new light plane, attached to the main façade of the building, acts as a sieve for the light coming from the outside, protection of the privacy of the work, so as a communication element of the company.

The façade is mainly composed by a big metal weave that holds numerous light points of Led illumination, with a rhythm and size designed on project and customized with the client specifications.

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Alberto Tallón
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Simón García
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Simón García

Integrating the light as a main layer that acts as a filter makes the work on the openings and carpentry of the offices like a second, non conditioned by the urban requirements of the surroundings layer, but focused on its own needs.

The combination of layers which forms the planes of the cover takes a special significance in the building.

The contemporary architecture identifies itself more often with the enveloping elements which react to a multiple functionality, climate and formalization conditioners inside the urban context where it’s placed.

Aura’s Insurance Company Building
© Simón García


Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Underground Floor
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Ground Floor
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
First Floor
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Second Floor 
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Third Floor
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Fourth Floor


Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Section
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Section
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
 Schematic Section
Aura’s Insurance Company Building
Location

Picharchitects / Pich - Aguilera
T +34 933 016457
Picharchitects / Pich - Aguilera
C/ d'Àvila, 138 4º, 1ª, Sant Martí, 08018 Barcelona, Spain