Original Tile Sets the Stage for a Family’s Apartment Revamp in Barcelona

Once Catalonia’s industrial center, El Poblenou in Barcelona has more recently been reinvigorated by a burgeoning creative class. Positioned between bustling downtown and the beach, the area’s historic factories and warehouses are now showrooms, galleries, studios, and start-up offices. Nearby apartment buildings, too, are seeing renovations. Recently, local firm Atzura Arquitectura was tasked with updating a 1930s unit for a couple with a young daughter.

The apartment’s layout was at odds with contemporary standards. One facade faced the street, while the other faced the building’s courtyard, leaving the interiors rather dark. Atzur’s challenge was to devise a modern, light-filled layout while preserving the building’s charms.