The large concrete slab that covers the garages of the Sant Genís metro, on which a large block dedicated to consultations and outpatient services of the Vall d'Hebron hospital will be built, will have a second building. The Public Health Agency of Barcelona (ASPB) plans to locate its new headquarters there and already has a first proposal, the winner of the ideas contest called by the municipal company Bimsa, signed by Arquitectura Anna Noguera and Activitàs Instal··Arquitectóniques (AIA ).
The schedule for the new ASPB headquarters to become a reality is still green. After the competition's decision, the winning architecture firms are already working on drafting the preliminary project. Then will come the executive project, the construction budget must be approved, tender, awarded and the works carried out. The forecast is that the latter will start during the current municipal mandate, which expires in 2027. The necessary investment, still to be established, will be borne by the City Council and the Generalitat.
“For us it is relevant that public health has visibility with an emblematic building like this,” highlights the manager of the ASPB, Carme Borrell. This is a projection objective so that the work of this organization, mainly focused on prevention, becomes better known. But there is also another internal one, the improvement of the working conditions of the 330 people it employs by concentrating in a single headquarters with 12,500 m2 the units that are now spread over several buildings, and also the efficiency of its activity.
In addition to Mercabarna, where the health control of the food sold is carried out, which will continue in this area, the ASPB is distributed in three different buildings around Plaza Lesseps and the laboratory, which is located in Drassanes, next to from CAS Baluart.
For the ASPB, the winning architectural proposal of the competition stands out for the separation of the laboratory, which will be located in an independent semi-underground body, and the rest of the units, which will be in another eight-story building. Another key element is the landscaped interior patio that will connect all the spaces, promoting the relationship between the different departments and workers. Also key is the existence of a large terrace on the lowest body of the property that will act as a climate shelter. In addition, the complex will allow sharing spaces thanks to its versatility. Much of the design responds to the new work models implemented as a result of the covid pandemic.
Integration into the environment is also relevant, since this place, now harsh, is going to change radically. It will be covered by large green areas that will connect both sides of the Ronda de Dalt, which is planned to be covered in this area. The architect Anna Noguera highlights the two bodies of the building, the horizontal one of the laboratory, with a base that is as wide as possible and that thanks to the unevenness it will have natural light and "the cube that will float about six meters on three sides" located on the opposite side of the future block of the Vall d'Hebron hospital, “which will act as a kneecap, will enhance that corner.”
The patio highlighted by Borrell is also important for Noguera. “It will be the most significant interior space,” explains the architect, “the vegetation will enter it, it will have visible stairs and it will contribute to the climate regulation of the building,” which has been designed “so that it works very well on an energy level.” She also points out the accessible roof of the lowest block, which “will be a vegetal porch-viewpoint over the city.” The complex will have great permeability and can be crossed on foot connecting the Ronda de Dalt with the park in the lower area. Inside, the exposed wooden floors will provide warmth. Another element designed for the well-being of workers.
