Paral.Lel Cultural Nexus: Adaptive Reuse Of Neglected Industrial Site In El Poble-Sec-Barcelona, While Fostering Cultural Exchange, Social Interaction, And Sustainable Reuse | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The intervention takes place in the former industrial site in El Poble-sec, a neighborhood in the Sants-Montjuïc district of Barcelona, Spain.

The project revitalizes a fragmented block in the neighborhood by converting the abandoned Endesa factory into a public infrastructure. Emphasizing urban connectivity and bioclimatic design, the intervention reimagines contemporary hybrid spaces as catalysts of cultural exchange.

Design Process

The project’s design process unfolded through a gradual, adaptive expansion of its intervention area. What began as a focused effort to repurpose the abandoned Endesa factory gradually evolved into a broader urban strategy. With each phase, the relationship between the site and its surroundings was reexamined, leading to a blurring of boundaries between the architecture and the public realm. Rather than treating the building as a standalone object, the design extended into neighboring voids, passageways, and overlooked urban fragments.

This incremental, context-sensitive approach enabled the project to respond organically to the evolving needs of the neighborhood, ultimately transforming the underused industrial site into a permeable civic hub. continuous site analysis—including studies of circulation patterns and sightlines—informed each spatial decision. Emphasizing flexibility, the design embraced change while preserving a coherent spatial identity. The integration of green intermediate platforms further dissolved the line between interior and exterior, reinforcing the project’s role as a seamless extension of public space.

Final Outcome

The project reinterprets the existing industrial fabric—traditionally seen as rigid and static—by establishing a new material dialogue. While preserving the structural solidity of the original buildings, the intervention incorporates lightweight, flexible materials that allow for future adaptability. The use of prefabricated construction methods reduces environmental impact and facilitates efficient maintenance.

At its core, the project aspires to offer a new model for urban regeneration—one that densifies the city, fosters cultural engagement, and brings together diverse social groups. Acting as a prototype for contemporary hybrid spaces, it draws inspiration from historical typologies like medieval monasteries and socialist phalansteries, while addressing the complex demands of the present.

Organized in a vertical sequence, the “urban shelf” hosts a mix of functions—including performance venues, an arts and music school, lecture halls, a restaurant, and various public areas—culminating in a rooftop sports facility with panoramic views. Designed as an open-ended system, the structure supports coexisting and adaptable uses that can respond to changing urban needs. Lush, vegetated interstitial spaces thread through the building, enhancing climate performance and ensuring continuous public access day and night.

Conclusion: Ultimately, this project proposes a dynamic model of urban regeneration that bridges past and present, permanence and adaptability. By transforming a neglected industrial site into a vertically layered civic space, it redefines the relationship between architecture and the city.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]