The Flying Wall
Urban adaptation| Type: Adaptive reuse, urban intervention. Year: 2024.
Project responds to an international ideas competition by the municipality of Barcelona, regarding adaptation of ‘blindwall’ conditions within the urban fabric of the city into spatially and environmentally resourceful opportunities.
The project proposes the addition of a second facade across the abutting blind walls at Carrer de Napols 103 & 99, located at Eixample district, that presents opportunities for improved building envelope performance, extended living spaces, solar farming and green walls, while responding to a formal problem within the scale of the city block.
In summary, proposal aspires to following points:
- Reduction of envelope heat gain and building cooling loads. A lightweight deck and framing system is devised to create a cavity screened by perforated metal panels, encouraging natural drafts while reducing solar exposure on blindwalls on both properties. Openings with small projecting balconies are proposed at property No. 103, which simultaneously bring light and natural ventilation into units.
- Creating infrastructure for green walls. The metal rainscreen system could couple as sub-structure for future greenwalls to be utilized by municipality.
- Harvesting renewable energy. Solar farm decks (amounting to approximately 75 m2 of surface area) are proposed at the crown of the property No. 103, to reap benefits of ideal solar angles and exposure at South facing facade.
- Resolution of the city block. Respectful of existing proportions, the addition marks a graceful entrance into the gardens at Carretera Antiga d’Horta.
Blind walls at abutting condition are transformed into two porous facades, articulating the urban scale down to the singular room, while pronouncing the entry into the shared public gardens at Carratera Antiga d’Horta.
The addition at Carrer de Napols 103 interprets the proportions of the existing building facade adapted simultaneously as a termination condition and a page turn within the fabric of the block.
Openings with sliding glass panels provide natural ventilation opportunities within units while cavity shafts created by the double skin facade reduce overall heat gain of the existing building masses, and encourage cooling drafts in warmer months thanks to the South facing orientation.
Openings are employed at entry hall and living room locations, providing flexible extensions to existing living spaces, as winter gardens or balconies.
The ‘second skin’ facade consists of a galvanized steel deck system, supported by cantilevering outriggers and vertical piers with integral tension cables. At balconies a high-strength metal mesh screen is draped as the enclosure. Bays with ventilation shafts are enclosed with stacking perforated metal panels that could couple as infrastructure for future green walls. A solar farm facility is devised at uppermost decks for ideal angular configuration and solar exposure.
Project: Aykut Imer.