Embracing Technology

TEAM DATA

Team Representative: Oscar Llnares de la Torre  (ES) – architect 
Associate: Bernat Bastardas Llabot (ES) – architect
Contributors: Guillem Rius Manuel (ES), Maria Del Olmo Gomez – architecture students

+34 610 83 98 64  – oscar.linares@upc.edu 

See the complete listing of portraits here 
See the site page here 

^{G. Rius Manuel, O. Llnares de la Torre, B. Bastardas Llabot & M. Del Olmo Gomez}

INTERVIEW
^{Click on the images to enlarge}

1. How did you form the team for the competition?

Oscar Linares is a PhD. Associate Professor of the Architecture & Technology (A&T) Studio Design at the Barcelona School of Architecture. Guillem Rius was the best student of the A&T Studio during the 2015-2016 course. Maria del Olmo was the best student of the same Studio during the next course. Bernat Bastardas was a brilliant grant holder who assisted the A&T Studio during the 2016-2017 course. Once finished their academic relationship, Oscar proposed them to form a team to develop a project for the Europan 14 Competition.

2. How do you define the main issue of your project, and how did you answer on this session main topic: the place of productive activities within the city?

Creating a place of productive activities within the city and enabling the city to arise was, for us, the two sides of the same coin. The main issue of an urban scale project should, always, be to contribute and to “create city". For this reason, we proposed a building surrounding the existent one and embracing the Media College. 

3. How did this issue and the questions raised by the site mutation meet?

The existing green area that currently surrounds the college is transformed in a range of different public spaces and thanks to this perimeter building, it leads to a mix of uses and a gradient of privacy. The city and the productive activities are understood as the same since our proposal is a project for living, working and learning. 

4. Have you treated this issue previously? What were the reference projects that inspired yours?

The main reference of our project is the ancient Greek concept of Stoa: a long portico that created a perimeter that defined an urban patio, conceived as a meeting point and as an exchanging place. This ancient urban concept has been successfully replicated in many cities throughout history.

5. Urban-architectural projects like the ones in Europan can only be implemented together with the actors through a negotiated process and in time. How did you consider this issue in your project?

We respected the needs of maintaining, as much as possible, the existing Media College. The main proposal for the building was a new layout of the lobby in order to open the college to the city. The perimeter building does not include the existing Media College in order to facilitate its implementation in different phases over time.

6. Is it the first time you have been awarded a prize at Europan? How could this help you in your professional career?

Oscar has been awarded at Europan three times as a Runner-Up and once with a Special Mention. Maria, Guillem and Bernat have got their first prize at Europan. Europan gives to young architects the opportunity to publish widely their work, but the best way to help the prizing teams in their professional careers is to make sure that they will be getting involved in the implementation of their proposals.