Miriam Castells Studio signs this recent reform of the territorial headquarters of Banco BBVA in Valencia. It is an emblematic building in a central area of the city, which was built in 1965, for which a comprehensive reform of the façade, reception and interior floors has been necessary.
The intervention has been carried out respecting the original elements as much as possible of the property. Abroad, the premise of quality that was already granted by the original materials has been maintained. Inside, it has been played with contrasts in textures, colors and materials, and a careful selection of furniture has been made. Everything to achieve a set in which elegance and luminosity are sought, how could it be otherwise in the “city of light”.
The imposing building has 12 floors and 10,250 square meters and it was originally the Valencia headquarters of the Banco Exterior. The current territorial headquarters of the BBVA bank occupies 7 of the 12 floors, the rest are used for rental offices. It’s about a chamfered building, with a metallic structure and open floors easily divisible. With terraces and exterior to two streets: Pintor Sorolla and Poeta Querol. Miriam Castells Studio was commissioned to carry out a comprehensive reform from the facade to the interior of the building.
The facade required a Integral rehabilitation, not only because of the aged state of its materials, but also because of the complete renovation of all its carpentry. Faced with such programmatic needs, the leitmotiv of the project is based on a comprehensive respect for the essence of the original design. The replacement of the stone parts by the same material is contemplated, although with a current system of hidden anchors.
The joinery is replaced by large oscillating ones. The central body, composed of concrete perimeter frames, is rehabilitated following the same aesthetic conservation criteria. All concrete frames are restored, recovering the material’s own tonality.
Regarding the openings of this façade front, original proportions are maintained, including the full / empty ratio, and work with hidden and fixed frame profiles, in order to guarantee the invisibility of the joinery. On the ground floor, all the uprights of the old carpentry and opaque areas of the facade are removed, providing great transparency to all rooms of said plant, allowing the interaction of the interiors with the pedestrians. This permeability respects the original aesthetics of the building while matching the current functional program.
Notably the original composition of the facade it has endured in the rehabilitation project, including respect for all materials in the entire building, both exterior and interior. Concrete, limestone, and two types of granite made up the bank’s facade. In the rehabilitation, the materiality of the original facade is maintained: concrete, limestone and only one type of granite they shape the building.
The original state of Pintor Sorolla’s entrance showed a disorderly arrangement of the space, very gloomy, ending in a Ibiza white and black Marquina marble staircase, elements that will mark the concept and materialization of the interior project. From this starting point, they begin to develop the rest of the materials that, according to use and location, will be part of the project. It includes the Walnut wood which, together with the black and white marbles, constitute a good ally to enhance the aesthetics that evokes the 1960s.
In this way, the entrance hall. The exterior-interior of the building is connected through the Zimbabwe black granite and the internal staircase of the same material that leads to the hall. Ibiza white marble gives light to an entrance that previously lacked luminosity. The counter is made of the same material and illuminated by Simon’s pendant lamp Slim System model by Josep Lluscà. A waiting bench accompanies this area and is illuminated with the metal basket lamp (1962) by Miguel Milá for Santa & Cole. Walnut cladding houses the facility and record cabinets.
The Ibiza marble hallway and indirect lighting leads to the ground floor access hall. For this space, which has a walnut cladding, we have chosen the Tria bookcase (1978) by JM Massana and JM Tremoleda by Mobles 114, the Atollo table lamp (1977) by Vico Magistretti by Oluce and a circular mirror. In front is the white – black marble staircase that give shape to the project. The staircase is restored and the railing is modified. This is done on site and is finished with a walnut wood handrail. The elevator accesses are covered in black Marquina marble as they were originally.
The bathrooms are lined in a Mirage porcelain, the bathroom sinks are made in Solid Surface by Krion by Porcelanosa, Water evolution taps in stainless steel and walnut partitions. They are illuminated with indirect light in the mirror and with downlights from Com.led Barcelona. The office slides are covered in walnut and are illuminated by rail systems from Com.Led Barcelona. On the top floor of the building, the use of offices, previously unused, is recovered, providing it with an open space, visible facilities, projected with pearlite and exterior terraces with a perspective of the entire city.
Photography | David Zarzoso
More information | Miriam Castells Studio
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