Wannabe Photography Studio

Wannabe Photography Studio 

Manu Pages Taller d'Arquitectura

Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia

MANUFACTURERS
Cubro Design

LEAD ARCHITECT
Manu Pagès

AREA
275 M²

YEAR
2022

LOCATION
Barcelona, Spain

CATEGORY
Photography & Architecture

Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia

Perhaps three of the most common fears in this profession converge in the renovation of this ground-floor location in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona.

It all began with a call from a good friend who proposed that we accompany him in the process of adapting an old surfboard workshop into a photography studio. From the beginning, the project seemed interesting to us, so without thinking too much and with great enthusiasm, we accepted the challenge.

Wannabe Photography Studio
© Iván Caño
Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia

It was a surprise to discover that the call in question was made from the very location we were going to renovate, literally with a hammer in hand to check whether a partition was a wall or structural. This began an intense creative process, with frenetic project drafting, numerous site visits, modifications, and sketches via WhatsApp.

The old surfboard workshop, located on this ground floor, consisted of a long and narrow first space corresponding to the floors above, which then opened up to a large square-shaped space corresponding to the inner courtyard of the plot.

Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia
Wannabe Photography Studio
© Iván Caño

In this second space, and thanks to the height of the existing roof, a loft had been built that occupied the entire room, creating a dark, poorly ventilated space filled with pillars.

The first task was to remove a large number of pillars from the loft to allow for longer camera shots without obstacles in between. Next, a cut was made in the flooring, and generous skylights in the roof bathed the studio in natural light.

Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia
Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia

Since it was a studio with the possibility of being rented out, spacious cabinets were designed to store all the technical equipment and leave the space completely clear.

Finally, with the dual purpose of unifying the appearance and convenience for a photography studio, everything was painted white.

Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia
Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia
Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia


Wannabe Photography Studio
© Ivá© José
Wannabe Photography Studio
© José Hevia
Wannabe Photography Studio
© Iván Caño


Wannabe Photography Studio
Ground Floor plan
Wannabe Photography Studio
1st Floor plan