*어반보이드 unparelld'arquitectes adds inhabitable brick façade to party wall in olot, spain

unparelld’arquitectes has transformed a party wall in the old city center of olot, spain, with an inhabitable brick façade of three vaults and four niches. titled can sau emergency scenery, the intervention offers a new public space while consolidating the party wall and guaranteeing its waterproof qualities. the structure completes the four existing stepped buttresses it has been built upon, revealing in the background the traces of domestic activity marked on the party wall.

unparelld’arquitectes’ intervention occupies an urban void in the old city center of olot, created when half of can sau building was demolished for street alignment purposes. the empty lot is characterized by a party wall and four stepped buttresses that faced the side façade of the church of the patron saint of olot. ‘in the compact city, the façades take responsibility for giving shape and character to the street,’ explains the local architecture studio. as such, apart from guaranteeing the waterproof qualities of the party wall, the studio has transformed the abandoned lot into a public space where a porous façade offers the background for various cultural activities and social interactions.

name: can sau. emergency scenery

architect: unparelld’arquitectes

lead architect: eduard callís, guillem moliner

artist: quim domene

design and construction team: clàudia calvet, xevi rodeja, sara palmada, sergi jiménez

structural designer: amaia lópez

building engineer: gemma planagumà (olot town hall)

client: olot town hall

builder: construo construccions generals

gross built area: 113 m²

location: can sau. carrer valls nous, 1. 17800 olot, spain

from designboom