carles enrich intertwines interior and exterior for the 'gallery house' in barcelona

barcelona-based architect carles enrich has completed ‘gallery-house’, a residential renovation of an early 20th century apartment. the home is located in the dense urban district of gracia, barcelona. the architect has reformulated the historical property into a modern dwelling well-adapted to the mediterranean climate.

the home acts as ‘a gallery that connects the street with the inner courtyards’. a former storage room was repurposed into a music studio while the patio becomes a central circulation device in the plan.

the original dwelling was fragmented into small rooms connected through dark corridors with the outside. the building’s original envelope was altered through a selective demolition wherein 90% of the old tiles and bricks were repurposed. the colorful tiles of the pre-existing house were introduced into the circulation areas, kitchen and bathroom to preserve the ‘material heritage of the home’.

the second intervention proposes a main space based on the succession of different rooms connected by porticos defined by structural interventions in the load walls. with this intervention the visual depth of the house is enhanced and different circulations are granted. the inhabitants can enjoy views of the street and the inner courtyard from different rooms, blurring the boundaries between domestic and exterior spaces.

the architects utilized passive design techniques to ensure temperature control throughout the year. the patios offer great conditions of thermal regulation and natural lighting. the extension of the small courtyard in the center of the house and the sequence of porches offers a cross ventilation that helps to cool the apartment in the hottest months. furthermore, the reused brick is employed as a double façade​​, improving thermal inertia and acoustic insulation. a rainwater collection system has also been integrated which will be used to irrigate the planter that will grow into a pergola mixing wisteria with vine and jasmine.