Designed by the architect Josep Pujol i Brull in 1860, Condeminas house is located on the seafront, in front of Paseo Colón, overlooking the port, the Ciutat Vella district, the Moll de la Fusta and Montjuïc mountain. The facade of this representative building of modernist architecture has been catalogued as a cultural asset of local interest.
The design of this building has become a journey into the architecture of the past, from understanding its composition to its construction techniques in all aspects. In the envelope, and with it its facades as the first characteristic point, modernist architecture stands out. Façades formed by stone and wrought iron balconies, wooden carpentry, stone plinths on a differentiated background on Carrer de la Mercè and stone simulation with shades of Montjuïc stone on Passeig Colón. The rectangular moldings that make up the façade facing the port were painted randomly, while the façade on Carrer de la Mercè has a marble finish, with gray stripes on a white background and the city's characteristic wooden roller shutters.
Once inside, we find an assortment of different materials, mahogany carpentry with modernist gold hardware, stucco walls with floral patterns, stone and nolla flooring, leaded woodwork with stained glass, plaster coffered ceilings with different graffiti run through the common areas, lamps and wrought iron railings illuminate these spaces.
One of the most important challenges of this project was to adapt it to current regulations without altering the original composition of the building. Integration could be the key word used in each of its disciplines. To rehabilitate the different elements, it was necessary to delve into its past, understand the intention of that moment, and from there reinterpret and reconvert it. Each space is unique, and the reading that was done was to understand the whole and establish a series of parameters that would allow us to understand the transition and dialogue between the different spaces.
The central courtyard and the staircase are the main core of the building. The courtyard, crowned by a large skylight that allows natural light to enter, reflects the colors of the leaded glass on the white walls with blue sgraffito that run along its perimeter. The project didn't prioritize execution speed but rather the quality of the restoration work and craftsmanship. It was carried out alongside a skilled team of rehabilitation specialists and artisans, some of whom represent the third generation of their craft, maintaining the same techniques and quality processes as in their origins.
The stairs located next to the courtyard are framed by a green textured baseboard on a white pigmented background. In the central part of the stairs is the elevator, surrounded by a black openwork mesh that allows one to see through it. The signage on each floor painted in blue indicates the floor to which it corresponds, with a typography reminiscent of the period.
Nineteen residences in the building are categorized into three types, some of them with protected elements such as Nolla floors, plaster ceilings with ornaments, fireplaces and stained glass windows. All the original elements have been restored following the same criteria as the common areas of the building.
