Centro Cultural Forges / FIRM architects

Andreas Luco — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 03:00:00 +0000

The Old Town Hall of A Fonsagrada (1845), unused since 2015, is transformed with this project into a space where the City Council can showcase the collection donated by the cartoonist Antonio Fraguas “Forges” after his passing in 2018. The proposal for the Forges Cultural Center delves into some of the basic concepts of intervention in built heritage. The reading and analysis of the different stages, uses, and interventions that occurred in the building allow us to identify which ones added value and which ones went against the original logic of the construction. In this sense, the first task was to clean and select, as well as to consolidate the deteriorated structural elements. On the other hand, one of the major challenges of introducing a museum use in a building of this type was adapting the pre-existing structure to current regulations, especially regarding accessibility, fire protection, temperature and humidity control, and energy efficiency. Thus, the original courtyard of the building, which had been covered with a methacrylate vault in the 1990s, was recovered, delineated by a new façade made of laminated chestnut wood structural elements, which also functions as a solar control and capture device. Inside, the spaces created by the existing masonry walls are utilized to develop the program of needs in the simplest way possible, adding only a circulation core and a service core.

Converted Warehouse ZZ21 / FIRM architects

Paula Pintos — Thu, 19 Mar 2020 03:00:00 +0000

For a private investor, Firm converted a 215 square meter part of this 120-year-old Warehouse on one of the busiest harbors in the Port of Rotterdam. The poorly lit space combined with a north-facing facade with just a few windows meant the owner needed to be visionary in order to perceive a bright and well usable office space. It is this capacity combined with the architectural aspirations and the open mind of the investor that ultimately have led to a strong collaboration with the architects and thoughtful design.

Office: FIRM architects | ArchDaily

Centro Cultural Forges / FIRM architects

Converted Warehouse ZZ21 / FIRM architects