This building forms an integral part of a special urban volumetric plan, defined by three new emblematic buildings for the city: the ME Hotel and the Hines D123 office block, by Dominique Perrault and AIA, plus two blocks of flats, one of which is a 100-meter tall tower, also by AIA for Castro Construcciones. These buildings are located at the intersection of Avenida Diagonal and Carrer Pere IV.
The project consisted of the construction of a building the singularity of which is defined by its height and shape. A solid block of rectangular proportions, which is divided in half and then displaced eight meters forward in an overhang, projected out over the street while at the same time creating a terrace, on the other side, with the pure lineal form being stimulated by the overall balance of the building as a whole.
The façade envelopes the building with a skin of brilliant lines, closed off on the sides through the use of black glass panels, and highlighted both front and back by horizontal bands of mirrored glass, playing off against areas of vision and both interior and exterior reflections. The idea for this composition was a proposition for opaque transparencies that would allow for a translucent sensation to pervade the interior while providing an effective control of the solar radiation entering from the exterior.
The building is 51 metres in height and has a total built up surface of 19,600 m2. The ground floor is occupied by two commercial premises, linked to the basement, and by the access and foyer of the vertical communications core. All of the twelve upper floors are set aside for use as offices.
The floors, each one measuring 797.86 m2, with a span of 14 metres, are translucent and confer on the building an optimum functional flexibility that allows for multiple possible layouts. This has been made possible by the use of a system of post-tensioned concrete slabs that allow for the creation of extensive, open plan spaces.
Basic functioning depends on two central vertical communication cores, enclosing four lifts and two stairways that fulfil all requirements in terms of being adapted for public use. On each side of the stairways there are installations that concentrate all of the specific services for each of the floors, along with the stiles and air extraction conduits, as well as the sanitary water installations for each floor.
Under the ground floor there are basement levels of 8,800 m2, taken up by car parking space, established on the basis of mezzanines, laid out on four different levels, with a capacity for 248 vehicles.
