Caracol Housing near Barcelona
- Frank Kaltenbach
Self-confident and resembling a monument, the green rectangular volume is situated in the newly created park of Sant Boi de Llobregat, located between a heterogeneous commercial zone north of Barcelona's airport and a residential area clearly delineated by block borders. Caracol, the name of the new residential building designed by Estudio Herreros, is Spanish for "snail shell" and in this case refers to the smooth exterior and hollow interior. The land use plan prohibited balconies along the facades. Therefore, the architects shifted private and shared open spaces into the block interior. The new building completely occupies the available plot. Interior courtyards, two-storey loggias and recesses along the roof level were carved out of the volume, preventing the building from exceeding the maximum permitted floor area.
