Paseo de Gracia 30 Apartments

The project

At number 30 Paseo de Gracia in Barcelona, on the corner with Carrer de la Diputació, the architecture studio Batlleiroig refurbished a late 19th-century residential building between 2019 and 2020, turning it into 21 high-end homes. Developed by Twin Peaks Capital and built by Constructora del Cardoner, the project combines tradition and contemporary luxury: it respects the building's original features, improves its energy efficiency and adds green spaces.

Over time, the building had undergone many alterations. Two storeys were added in the 1930s and it later housed Iberia's headquarters; before the works it stood empty except for the retail premises on the lower floors, occupied by an Inditex brand. According to the studio, these changes had erased its original form and part of its historical appeal, at a time when Paseo de Gracia, now a major shopping street, is returning to its residential origins.

The proposal is a complete refurbishment that adapts the building to today's housing requirements while preserving its heritage-protected elements and recovering the original spirit of the property. The new layout turns the two matching apartments on each floor into four of different sizes, which make the most of space, light and views and appeal to a wider range of residents. On the top floor, the former concierge's flat becomes a penthouse with a terrace overlooking Paseo de Gracia.

In the common areas, the Catalan vault staircase, the stucco finishes and the wooden lift, all characteristic of Eixample architecture, are restored and improved. The small existing ventilation shafts are joined to the stair core, which gains natural light and gives access to the new homes.

The two facades are treated differently. The main facade is restored to its original appearance after a colour study that established the original shades of walls and openings, and its windows are replaced with new timber joinery that improves acoustic and thermal insulation. The rear facade, of no historical interest, was entirely replaced in a language that keeps the Eixample typology: vertical openings, small balconies, timber joinery and shutters.

The thermal envelope was upgraded and ventilation systems with heat recovery were added, which, according to the studio, earned the building a double-A certification. Vegetation plays a central role: the roof becomes a communal area with a swimming pool and views over Barcelona, with landscape design by Aeland based on Mediterranean species around the perimeter, and in the inner courtyard the party wall becomes a green wall on timber battens.

The greatest challenge was carrying out the works while the Zara Home store on the lower floors remained open: the existing foundations had to be reinforced without interrupting its business. The project was a finalist in the 2021 Premis Catalunya Construcció, in the integrated project management category, with an entry by Martí Broquetas and Javier Chaves of G3.