SANLLEHY Building
RENOVATION OF BALCONY PARAPETS AND RAILWAYS
Barcelona, 2013-2018
Collaboration with Josep Ortín Meseguer
Builder: TRAC Rehabilitació d’Edificis S.L.
GRC Panels: Decomol
Rendering: SBDA
Photographies: Pol Viladoms
Administration: Adase Tot Finques S.L.
The aim is to give the building a renewed image but taking into account its historical heritage, without introducing textures, colors or finishes that are out of tune with those already existing on the facades, on the contrary, looking for the integration and simplification of both the system constructive as of the image of the finished rehabilitated building.
The project starts from 6 fundamental premises:
1. Increase the protection height of the parapets from the initial 80cm (65cm height of the solid sill and 15cm protection of the handrail) to the standard height marked by the CTE (1,10m).
2. Maintain outward views from inside the balconies, with a great sense of openness, and maintain the compositional proportions of the facade from the outside.
3. Carry out an action that allows us to recognize a progress and a modernization of the construction systems and materials and at the same time integrates with the elements that are not intervened on and that respond to the architectural style of the 70s.
4. Allow the integration of planters on the parapets
5. Get the new construction system to prevent the passage of domestic animals between balconies.
6. Solve the proposal with a minimum of different materials.
The renovation proposal is carried out by replacing the original artificial stone sills with GRC pieces, of better performance and without internal metal armor, maintaining the location and height of the balcony gargoyles and also maintaining the current height of the massive element.
In order to comply with the height of 1,10m marked by the CTE, the placement of a glass aligned on the inside with the solid sill is proposed. This glass will replace the existing metal handrail and also the bar rails that appear where there is no solid sill.
At the same time, the introduction of a new element is being considered: ribs also made of GRC that will perform the function of supporting the glazing and which will at the same time be the reflection and reminder of the rhythm of the current ornamentation of the metal profile of the handrail. The GRC ribs will also allow the assembly of the glass on the outside, thus leaving free the upper shelf of the parapet towards the inside of the balcony and allowing the placement of planters without the risk of falling onto the street.