A historic office building in the heart of Barcelona has been revitalized to capture the essence of the 1920s and pay homage to the Catalan architectural movement of Noucentisme.
Casa Pich i Pon, located on Plaza Catalunya, no. 9, is a pioneering structure that was one of the first office buildings in Barcelona when it opened in 1922. Last September, it began a new chapter as Loom Plaza Catalunya, a six-floor, nearly 4,000-square-meter coworking space owned by Merlin Properties. While refurbished by architecture firm SCOB as a modern workspace, the building also embraces the values of Noucentisme, the Catalan retort to 20th-century Modernism that aimed to recover the roots of the classical world and continues to thrive in Barcelona today.
The result is a contemporary work environment that evokes a back-to-the-future sensation of the 1920s.
Reviving the Spirit of the 1920s
The building’s original architect, Josep Puig i Cadafalch, emphasized flexibility in internal spaces and the maximization of natural light through large window openings that can still be found in the original building. Another groundbreaking feature, a penthouse residence for the building owner's family, started a trend in the city during the early 20th-century dominance of Noucentisme.
Inspired by Puig i Cadafalch, who said that "architecture should reflect the character of society,” the new space recaptures its original design's open, versatile spaces. The project embraces contemporary values that mirror the Noucentisme culture by emphasizing shared knowledge, a healthy environment, direct sunlight, and the use of organic materials crafted with contemporary techniques.
SCOB, named for principal architects Sergi Carulla Altadill and Oscar Blasco Lázaro, said its design sought to recreate a modern version of the classic Athenaeum while reflecting the values and philosophy of contemporary workspaces. Athenaeums have historically served as dynamic centers for social and cultural exchange by combining work, research, informal meetings and cultural events.
By incorporating vintage Noucentisme-friendly materials such as wood, ceramic, marble, velvet, rattan, cork and cotton fabrics, LOOM Plaza Catalunya transports visitors to the 1920s while fostering collaboration and a sense of community, the building’s designers said.
Work began in December 2021 and lasted until August of last year. Loom, owned by Merlin Properties, operates nine coworking spaces in locations in Madrid and Barcelona. The Plaza de Catalunya location boasts coworking areas, offices, meeting rooms, event space, common areas and spectacular interior and exterior terraces offering views of the plaza.
Loom Plaza opened amid a turbulent time for the Barcelona office market, where the vacancy rate has risen for the third straight year to 12.2%, its highest rate since 2015. Office space takeups in Barcelona totaled 122,000 square meters in the first half of the year, down 25% from the first half of 2022, according to Cushman & Wakefield.
