Garcés de Seta Bonet Arquitectes (GdSB) and Marvel are collaborating to transform an abandoned Barcelona factory, Tres Xemeneies/Three Chimneys, into a cultural and exhibition space. The project, located in Sant Adrià de Besòs, a Barcelona suburb, is part of Catalunya Media City, a strategic initiative by the Catalan government to host audiovisual, digital, and video game projects.
The former thermal plant, built in the 1970s and closed in 2011, features three 650-foot-tall chimneys. GdSB and Marvel’s redesign breaks the complex into four zones: educational programming, research and business incubators, experience and exhibitions, and a resource center for the Catalan audiovisual industry.
The main space will feature a 5,300-square-foot auditorium, an immersive 4,300-square-foot room, and facilities for recording, mixing, and editing. “Transforming an infrastructure that has had a heavy environmental impact in the past into one that drives the future of media collaboration… seems to us, like a worthy goal for the future of architecture,” said Jonathan Marvel, Marvel Architects.
Anna Bonet, GdSB cofounding partner, compared the main hall to large-scale exhibition spaces like the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern in London. Construction is set to begin in summer 2025 and conclude by 2028.
