A house reimagined by Harquitectes as a forest of pillars with a staircase facade

Located in a densely populated district of Barcelona, Casa 1616, the residence renovated by Catalan studio Harquitectes looks towards the street while maintaining its original features such as the arches and brick cladding on the facade.  The house is built on three levels, each with specific functions to suit the different users and their needs. The floors are connected by the staircase block, positioned by the architects on the street side, guaranteeing multiple advantages, as it allows natural ventilation and serves as a separator between the outside and the inhabited areas, attenuating urban noise. 

The side opposite the entrance, on the other hand, overlooks the garden, a protected place designed as a refuge for fun and leisure. The ground floor, larger than the other levels, houses the living and dining room, while the first floor is dedicated to the children, who can play and study here. Finally, the third floor was designed for the master bedroom and study. As the original spatial distribution has been totally changed, the load-bearing walls parallel to the facade have now been split into a dense network of white-painted brick pillars: these are fundamental elements for understanding the new spatial layout, which is wall-less and versatile.