Rehabilitation of Teatre Arnau, Barcelona

ROIG Construccions will be the construction company in charge of the rehabilitation and adaptation of the emblematic Teatre Arnau, located at Avinguda Paral-lel, number 60, in Barcelona, with the aim of transforming it into a performing arts center and a cultural athenaeum linked to the theatrical world and the memory of Paral-lel.

This project aims to preserve the essence of the building, recognizing its historical and architectural value, while adapting it to today’s technical and functional requirements.

Recovery of architectural heritage

The rehabilitation of the Teatre Arnau seeks to recover its essence and architectural heritage, allowing its reintegration as an active space for the performing arts. The new use of the building will revolve around three fundamental axes: the performing arts, historical memory and the connection with the community and the territory. This process of recovering the theater will also be marked by a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, respecting the historical legacy while optimizing conditions for future cultural activities.

Integral rehabilitation respecting its original character

The Teatre Arnau, built in 1903, is the last exponent of the barraca theaters still standing. During its history, it has undergone several transformations, and closed its doors in 2000. Now, the ROIG Construccions team, following the project of the H Arquitectes studio, will carry out a comprehensive rehabilitation to restore its original character and provide it with new functionalities.

The work will include:

1. Preservation of the original structure: The restoration of the building will respect the structure of the theater, especially the wooden elements that make up its skeleton, such as pillars, floor slabs and curved trusses. These elements, although fragile, are of great architectural and expressive value, and will be reinforced with metal and concrete elements to ensure structural stability, improving their capabilities without losing their historical essence.
2. Recovery of the façade and original woodwork: The façade will be rebuilt, restoring the original cladding and woodwork. This work seeks to recover the building’s aesthetics while integrating bioclimatic and energy efficiency criteria, such as solar gain in winter and the use of natural ventilation to optimize thermal comfort.
3. Protection of the Barcelona city wall: A significant part of the building is located on the route of the Barcelona city wall, declared a Historical Monument. This will be preserved and converted into a visitable area, open to the public, which will allow visitors to learn more about the history of the site.
4. Transformation of the old café into the Ateneo: The old café space will be demolished and replaced by a new Ateneo, designed with a typology similar to that of the barraca theater, but with a more elongated and street-oriented design. This intervention seeks to maintain the connection with the original theater while opening up to the urban space, allowing the Ateneo to act as a new cultural meeting point for the neighborhood.
5. Expansion of the space through two basement floors: In order to expand the building’s functionality, two basement floors will be built to house the restrooms, dressing rooms, rehearsal rooms and storage rooms. The construction process will include the use of micro-piles to underpin the building, ensuring the stability of the structure while expanding the spaces below ground.

Sustainable solutions

The design includes a sustainable approach that optimizes the building’s thermal and acoustic performance:

• Natural ventilation: Ventilation will be managed by natural stratification, promoting air flow from the lower levels to the roof. This will allow for efficient thermal regulation, while taking advantage of the old skylight as a natural vent for ventilation.
• Soundproofing: Since the theater is a performing arts venue, special attention will be paid to soundproofing to ensure sound quality within the building.

The works will last 20 months.