This week, the renovation works began on the two pavilions of the Pedralbes Palace grounds, in the Les Corts district of Barcelona, where the new headquarters of Casa Asia.
The institution plans to move in the last quarter of 2026, coinciding with its 25th anniversary, once the comprehensive renovation works have been completed on the two pavilions (3 and 4) located at either end of the Gardens of the complex, through the main entrance on Avenida Diagonal.
Pavilion 3 will be used for offices and meeting rooms, although its interior courtyard can also be used for events. Pavilion 4 will house the institution's public spaces: an auditorium, a media center, and a multipurpose room for all types of activities.
Comprehensive reform project
The renovation project, with a constructed area of 1.993,49 m2, is part of a comprehensive restoration effort that will restore the heritage values lost due to the multiple interventions and partial uses that have disfigured the buildings over time.
The intervention is summarized by the incorporation of a lightweight roof that creates a ventilated passageway that completes both buildings. In Pavilion 3, which is used for internal work, this element is organized in a circle surrounding the courtyard, resembling a cloister. In Pavilion 4, which houses the more open spaces, this covered space becomes a new access to the spaces and rooms located in the nave.
Furthermore, the works include significant improvements in accessibility, sustainability and energy efficiency, adapting the pavilions to the needs of a public diplomacy institution, which is dedicated to promoting knowledge and relations with the Asia-Pacific region, such as Casa Asia.
The two pavilions, built in different phases as part of the development of the royal gardens, retain significant elements such as the arcades with decorative pergolas on Diagonal Avenue.
This initiative not only restores an emblematic heritage site of the city, which is considered a Cultural Asset of National Interest, but also revitalizes an important part of the Palau de Pedralbes monument.
Tenders and competitions
The proposal to house the headquarters of Casa Asia Project for this site was initiated by Barcelona City Council in 2020, and in 2021, a functional program was developed with the aim of initiating the bidding process for the renovation of the two pavilions. Between 2022 and 2023, the bidding process for the project drafting and construction management services was carried out.
The winning bidder was Cobrusi Arquitectes with the proposal "Solstici." The jury highly evaluated the architectural quality, energy efficiency, materials life cycle, construction consistency, and maintenance costs.
Prior to the tendering and approval of the project, the Comprehensive Special Urban Improvement Plan for the regulation of the facilities located in the Palau de Pedralbes park was approved.
This is an action resulting from the collaboration between administrations, specifically between the Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat de Catalunya, which will involve not only the recovery of an emblematic heritage of the district of Les Corts and the city, but also the adaptation of a public facility open to all citizens that will become the headquarters of Casa Asia.
The estimated timeframe for the execution of the works is 13 months. The schedule calls for construction to begin in the first half of June 2025 and, in the last quarter of 2026, Casa Asia can be moved from its current location, the Chapel of the Orphaned Infants in the Ciutat Vella neighborhood, to its new location in pavilions 3 and 4 of the Pedralbes Palace Gardens. The project budget is approximately 6 million euros.
Location
Both pavilions are located at the two corners of the complex with Avenida Diagonal. Pavilion 3 is attached to the perimeter fence that defines the corner of Avenida Diagonal and Carrer Pere Duran Farell. Pavilion 4 is attached to the perimeter fence that defines the corner of Avenida Diagonal and Carrer John Maynard Keynes.
pavilions
3 Pavilion
It is a building with a roughly rhomboidal floor plan, formed by four galleries surrounding a courtyard. The circle, a transversal symbol in numerous cultures, is presented as the most basic form for resolving the functional communication between a central-plan pavilion and the spaces used. The porch is protected by a ring that acts as a filter and streamlines the connection of the interior spaces with the porch and courtyard.
Pavilion 3 has a constructed area of 730 m2, plus a 540 m2 central courtyard, and consists of a ground floor and a roof level. The usable area is approximately 640 m2.
4 Pavilion
It is a linear building formed by a single gallery connected to the corner pergolas of the palace fence. There is a semi-exterior space with longitudinal patios that bring in light and vegetation from the gardens.
Pavilion 4 has a floor area of 908 m2 and consists of a ground floor and a roof level. The approximate usable area of Pavilion 4 is 840 m2.
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