Francesc Abajo, architecture student from La Salle-URL, is one of the 10 winners of Arquia Foundation's design competition

Francesc Abajo, architecture student at La Salle-URL, has won one of the 20 scholarships awarded by Arquia Foundation for the development of professional practices in European architecture studies. 10 of these grants were awarded through a competition and the other 10 by qualifications in the academic record. More than 800 students or architects participated in both modalities.

An overview of the proposal

 

Abajo participated in the competition modality. The aim for enrolled students was to design an architectural project that simulates a space of silence in a big city, a place to feel solitude and silence, like a vacuum chamber. To do this, contestants had specific location and size guidelines to be met when designing their projects.

The location should be Plaça de las Glòries in Barcelona, a natural environment where the Urban Canopy project -real winner of the contest organized by Town Hall- already had been consolidated.

Top view

 

Abajo chose to unite the earthly and spiritual in its design 'Enclosed Nature'. This is a project that serves as a reflection to unite human constructions, the city and nature, building a unique location.

His work consists of three phases that lead park visitors to different sensory states as he discovers construction, designed by way of layers -radial circles.

Plan and elevation of Francesc Abajo's proposal, 'Enclosed Nature'

 

In the first phase, a different view of the park, more contemplative, is experienced. In the second, the visitor is immersed in the shadow of the building and intuits the path by the light coming from the central space. And in the last, the peak sensory experience is reached in a space where the protagonist, a large tree, filters the light through its branches.

With this project, Abajo has positioned itself as one of the winners of an Arquia scholarship, with which he will have the chance to work for six months as trainee in Alberto Campo Baeza's office, and which will also grant 7,000 euros for his accommodation costs.

Delivery of scholarships will take place in an act under the V Forum Arquia on 19, 20 and 21 October. The expenses of stay and transport of the winners also run by the Foundation.

Recognized professionals will participate in this forum, including Professor of La Salle-URL Eugeni Bach. The lawyer will act as a speaker at a panel discussion on the future of architecture.