TELEFONICA DIAGONAL ZEROZERO TOWER NEWS 65 - Figueras

Project
details:
Name:
Telefónica Diagonal
ZeroZero Tower
Location:
Zona Forum, Avinguda
Diagonal, Barcelona
Architecture and
design: EMBA_
Estudi Massip-Bosch
Arquitectes
Height:
110 metres
Number of floors:
26
Construction company:
FCC
Client:
Zona Franca
Consortium, Barcelona
City Council
Total floor area:
34.000 m 2
Assembly hall capacity:
340 plazas
Product:
ZeroZero custom chair
by Figueras
‘The external form and the view of the building from a distance
are a response to the city; the close-up view and internal forms,
to the building’s functions’
SPAIN, Barcelona
TELEFONICA DIAGONAL
ZEROZERO TOWER
A MODULAR
AUDITORIUM FOR
NUMBER ‘ZERO’
ON BARCELONA’S
AVINGUDA
DIAGONAL
with:
ENRIC MASSIP-BOSCH - EMBA_Estudi Massip-Bosch Arquitectes
The building is the corporate headquarters of Telefónica
in Catalonia and houses the company’s Research and
Development Department, one of the most advanced in the
country.
Where did you draw your inspiration for the original design
of the façade and volume of the Telefónica building?
The volume of the building is determined by its urban setting.
The rhomboid ground plan conforms to the grid pattern of the
Eixample district, which defines the plot; and its height, 110
metres, is a way of marking the beginning of Avinguda Diagonal
as a reference point in Barcelona. The building is visible from the
other end of Avinguda Diagonal, at the entrance to Barcelona
from Tarragona, so it serves as a landmark for the point where
the Eixample district reaches the sea.
The façade is a curtain wall made of white screen-printed
glass because we wanted the building to be a landmark that
changes depending on the light and weather. This is achieved
with the white colour, which reflects the various tones in the
environment.
Enric Massip-Bosch
EMBA_Estudi Massip-Bosch Arquitectes
What needs did the auditorium have to meet, and how have
they been addressed?
Right from the start, the goal was to make the assembly hall
a versatile space, in terms of both its size and use. It was clear
to us that it should be above ground level to take advantage
of natural light. It’s oriented towards the northeast, so the
light that reaches the space throughout the day is indirect
and very soft, just right for the kind of functions held there.
The upper floor location also provides a view of the sea
horizon, which lends the space a unique character. Another
thing that distinguishes the auditorium from those found in
other corporate headquarters is its 350-seat capacity and
the distribution of seating in stalls and two amphitheatres,
which can be separated from the main part of the hall to hold
simultaneous events.
We wanted the auditorium to be in harmony with the design
of the rest of the building, which is very austere and free
of flourishes, though luxurious in terms of dimensions and
materials. That’s why everything is white, except the carpeting
and seating, which are black.