Blow Models HQ refurbishment project by Isern Serra
Blow Models is a brand based in Barcelona that manages top level models formed by brothers Xavi and Natalia Fabregas. The assignment is to create a workspace in a local at street level. The brif consists of different work areas, offices, meeting rooms, kitchen and toilet. The premises with a very present character is formed by two buildings. The first area is created by the first floor of a two-storey modernist building. With a large wooden portal and windows with modernist details. The second area is a large open space formed by 3 warehouses built later, of which the central one has no construction on top. In terms of facades, the project faces the street through the main facade with windows and the main door, laterally to a passage with different openings and the rear facade overlooks a block courtyard that the city council transforms into a park and gives us the right to a window and an emergency exit.
The concept of the space is to create a large interior garden around which the different areas are structured. Giving value to the space and its original volume and introducing light in a zenithal way that evokes the courtyards of Roman houses. Light and vegetation becomes the center from which the project is structured.
The project wants to experiment with the concept of Onyx spaces, taking it to the maximum, a space that evokes digital dream worlds. The whole project has been thought as a landscape where the models can take pictures. Unusual and beautiful backgrounds that are intended to encourage photography. Being on the first floor and without parking underneath we saw clear to work with the concept of generating holes for different uses, planter, sofas, structure the plant in different spaces.
In this architectural context, our first decision is to remove the false ceilings and existing partitions to give the space its natural volume. Once we have the space clean the next decision is to open a large skylight in the central space that gives light to the great hall and the different spaces that are generated around it. The plant also has the desire that the user perceives the volumes of the original spaces, so we tried to leave the space as open as possible and have only closed the accounting and meeting room in the areas of passage from one building to the other. Thus, a first space of estrada is created where a large stainless steel bar welcomes you. A space that serves to meet the models in their first visits are that they see the more intimate work space. It is a custom-designed sculptural piece that plays with the balance of light and heavy generating a sculpture of minimalist lines.
In this space a curtain can be closed from a set of rails and generate the shooting space for the models. The bathrooms have been positioned on the facade on the right side of the stairwell to enhance the concept of open plan. Thus a make-up room is generated in the glass facade. A large stone pillar acts as a railing towards the street. A floor-to-ceiling mirror on the right side is used for make-up.
A large planter on the floor makes the background of this space.
The large main room is composed of three spaces.
1. The center: the hinvernacle
This space is conceived as an ode to beauty, inspired by the ancient Greek temples, the sanctuary of Aphrodite, goddess of beauty. We designed a skylight to give natural light to the central space as if it were a large greenhouse. Three large circular holes carved into the pavement generate the lower space, the central one is a large planter full of plants that evokes naturalness and beauty without sophistication. Nature. A sculpture that gives color and life to the space. The other holes become sofas with fabric cushions for rest and improvised meetings. All of them designed with this concept of the dreamlike. Some sofas that do not split the vision of space and with its circular shape and collected invites informal gatherings.
2. The work table
The work area is located to the left next to the windows overlooking the passage so that people have more natural light. The space is solved with the custom design of a large concrete table.
The biga table.
The envelope is designed as a large 16m biga supported by two concrete blocks. It is a sculptural table that gives a unique character to the space.
3. The kitchen
The kitchen area is located to the right in the most intimate area of the space, it consists of a kitchen cabinet to the wall and a large table in the center for meals.
The Roca table
It is a custom-made table also with a sculptural character. The legs, inspired by a carved rock, support a concrete plane that crosses a pile of iron. It is a game of formal planes that generate a unique piece with brutalist references but with great beauty and delicacy.
"The truth is that we had a lot of fun designing every element of this room."
The offices
The office area is solved with a central concrete table with a micro cement finish as the floor and a wooden vintge chair by Brutus.
The offices are the only closed spaces
Team:
Author: Isern Serra
Team leader: Aasheen Mittal
Photography: SALVA LOPEZ
Art Direction for photos: Aasheen Mittal
Client: Blow Models
Material Used:
1. Micro cement: Ingremic
2. Semi pendant: Gubi
3. Table profiles: Lluria
4. Max: leds c4
5. Low voltage: leds c4
6. Atom: leds c4
7. Chairs: Vintage Brutus Gaspar
8. Furniture: Good living
