The project entails the refurbishment of a thirteenth-century mint for public use: a bookshop-café. It lies in the Born, Barcelona's fashionable leisure quarter.
The main aim is raise awareness of a forgotten space such as La Seca, a building that was of great importance in its time.
A small interior corridor connects the main entrance in the shape of an arc with the central courtyard of the building. This has been done with natural stone paving like on the pavement to invite pedestrians to come in and get to know the factory inside.
The interior courtyard has been opened up to recover the original physiognomy of the building while lighting almost all the space with natural light. Another of the features of the project I should highlight is the desire to maintain the spirit of the factory. To do this, I have used materials from the time such as iron and steel, which have combined with the new use, the bookshop.
The book display follows the length of the party walls. I have also designed walkways that run parallel to the shelves to make the most of the height of the building, which is five metres on the ground floor.
