The Old Church of Vilanova de la Barca

Special Prize Winner - Category: Building outside the box

The Old Church of Vilanova de la Barca black and white with facing bricks and roof tiles; Brick Award 2018 Special Prize Winner, Category "Building outside the Box"; Aleaolea Architecture & Landscape; Photo:  Adrià Goula
© Adrià Goula
The Old Church of Vilanova de la Barca with facing bricks and roof tiles; Brick Award 2018 Special Prize Winner, Category "Building outside the Box"; Aleaolea Architecture & Landscape; Photo:  Adrià Goula
© Adrià Goula

Key facts

The Old Church of Vilanova de la Barca

Architects   AleaOlea architecture & landscape, Spain

Location   Lleida, Spain

Construction period  2015 - 2016

Nomination category   Building outside the box

Purpose   Multipurpose Hall

Brick type   Facing bricks, clay roof tiles



 

About the project

Built in the 13th century, the church of Vilanova de la Barca in the heart of Catalonia is mainly Ro­manesque, but pointed arches and the apse make the Gothic influences noticeable. During the Spanish civil war in 1936 the church was strongly damaged and for more than 80 years the walls lay waste. In 2009, it was decided to stop the decay and to con­serve it in its current condition.

The architects proposed to reproduce the original contour of the structure, and to make use of the former church as a multi-purpose hall for exhibitions and concerts in this way. The building material of brick plays a major role in this elaborate renovation process. Beside securing the remains of the old walls, the new enve­lope consists of double-shelled brick masonry with a loosely offset, a porous bond on the outer façade and a solidly bricked, but airy-seeming layer of hollow block bricks on the building’s inside.

“The way we used the bricks is a quite conscious connection to the lively variety of the old, heavy ashlars.” - AleaOlea architecture & landscape

The revitalization of Vilanova de la Barca is an unusual approach to dealing with historical building fabric. This project shows the versatility and adapt­ability of brick as a building material and creates a unique dialog between the present and history.

 

Winners 22 and 20