A mental health centre born on the ashes of an old industry

The beauty of public space as a synonym of care. MIAS Architects converted three industrial buildings into a centre against drug addiction by modulating the relationship between public and private areas and using light as a metaphor for healing.   

Three adjoining industrial buildings located in the centre of Calella, in the province of Barcelona, are converted into a mental health centre for the treatment of drug addiction. The project, developed by the architectural firm MIAS, stands out for the integration between the original structural elements from the beginning of the 20th century and prefabricated concrete elements framing large glass surfaces in the interior spaces.

The buildings were brought back to a single volume after the demolition of the dividing walls and reorganized through the distribution of the treatment rooms around two parallel corridors on both the two floors of the construction. The opening of skylights on the roof and in the stairwell reconnects to the use of glass frames on the dividing walls, transforming windows and light into a recurring and metaphoric theme. The use of different materials and the inclusion of small decorative notes, such as the recycled hydraulic mosaic carpets, overcome the austerity of the industrial style, expressing a note of informal, joyful positivity.  

Location:
Calella
Program:
Centre for mental health
Architects:
MIAS Architects
Area:
880 sqm
Year:
2019

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