Late Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill first encountered La Fábrica in 1973 on a drive to the western outskirts of Barcelona. Located in Sant Just Desvern, the cement factory was then still active, defined by its vast slabs of concrete, towering siloes, and chimneys exhaling smoke. The 31,000 sqm industrial complex was dismantled a mere month after the architect’s first encounter with it and offered the ideal opportunity to satisfy Bofill’s desire for space.
Representing the rejection of functionalism in favour of beauty, Bofill saw La Fábrica as a bridge between past and present — linking the Fordist mode of mass production with the incoming post-material society. The industrial complex initially comprised 30 siloes, four kilometres spanning a web of underground tunnels, and various large rooms devoted to hosting machinery. In a process spanning over one-and-a-half years, dynamite and a jackhammer were used to mould the existing structure, with the eight remaining siloes emptied of cement and debris.
Certain architectural elements of the early 1920s structure were retained, including staircases that led nowhere, elements hanging over voids, and an overall brutalist tone formed by the concrete-heavy materiality of the space.
Today, La Fábrica serves as both an office and studio for Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura as well as a residence for the Bofill family. The 15-metre-tall siloes host 70 specialists — spanning architects, urban planners, interior and graphic designers, professional executives, and project managers — across four floors, with functional layers allowing for private spaces and accessible meeting locations. Spiral staircases running up and down the towers connect each of the levels, encouraging teamwork and collaboration between departments. A repurposed factory hall has been deemed La Catedral and forms the central workspace. Decorating minimally, it is imbued with a gothic-like sense of spirituality.
The residence complements the office space. Located within the Sala Cubica, a large volume of cement functioning as the main living room and is punctuated by a series of arc windows. The kitchen and dining area features a rectangular white marble table surrounded by Thonet chairs and dual-sided fireplaces by architect Óscar Tusquets. A display of ‘wild urbanism’, the gardens are deliberately formed to allow nature to take over manmade structures. The ruins of the factory informed the green areas of the current space, with palms, eucalyptus, cypresses, and olive trees planted throughout the exterior of the complex, while ivy grows down the external walls of the brutalist structure.
Words by AR Staff
