El Departamento reimagines Barcelona’s historic Casa Degli Italiani as a groundbreaking learning space The architecture and interior design studio El Departamento, led by Alberto Eltini and Marina Martín, has transformed a unique Renaissance building in Barcelona into the new home of the Expanish language school.
This project demonstrates a respectful approach to the building’s rich historical heritage, inviting students to celebrate Spanish culture and embrace local traditions.
Preserving heritage and engaging with history
The Casa Degli Italiani, constructed between the late 18th and early 19th centuries, is a Renaissance-style building with eclectic influences that has undergone various transformations over the centuries. The primary challenge for the El Departamento team was to preserve and restore the essence of this space, maintaining its characteristic features such as high ceilings with wooden beams, vaulted ceilings, and decorative details, while adapting it to its new role as a language academy.
The intervention focused on a conservative approach, embracing the building’s history and the passage of time, preserving its original structure, and avoiding imposing a new architectural style.
“Our goal was to establish a respectful dialogue between the old and the new,” explains Alberto Eltini. “It’s not about erasing the past but integrating it into the present through an architecture that preserves and enhances the accumulated memory of the place.”
Embrace the Tradition: Spaces inspired by local culture
For the interior layout, El Departamento reinterpreted Spanish culture and lifestyle, connecting the educational experience with the local context. Common areas, named “Tapas,” are designed as gathering and socializing spaces, referencing the Spanish tradition of sharing and conversing around the table. Visually, these areas stand out with a warm, contrasting color palette of burgundy, blue, and green, adding a contemporary touch to the design without clashing with the building’s classic aesthetics.
Another area, dubbed “Siesta Spaces,” serves as relaxation and rest zones within a dynamic working environment. This playful yet functional concept strikes the perfect balance between productivity and well-being.
Rich materials and custom furniture
Rather than imposing a modern aesthetic that would conflict with the building’s historic character, El Departamento curated a rich selection of materials and finishes that pay homage to the original details of the Casa Degli Italiani. Every window, door, molding, and ornament has been carefully restored, preserving their place in the building’s history.
Custom-designed furniture fits seamlessly into the spaces. These unique pieces, conceived by El Departamento’s creative team, not only serve practical purposes but also reinforce the narrative of respect for the pre-existing structure, while adding subtle touches of modernity. Additionally, the incorporation of greenery throughout the interior enhances the sense of freshness and vitality.
Flexibility and open spaces
A key aspect of the intervention was the flexibility in both the planning and execution of the project. From the outset, El Departamento adopted an open strategy, allowing the team to adapt to the uncertainties that can arise when rehabilitating a historic building.
This approach enabled the team to respond quickly to the variable conditions of the original structure and materials, embracing the imperfections of the original building to create a more authentic and respectful space. “The building guided many of the decisions we made,” says Marina Martín. “We chose to incorporate its scars and flaws as integral parts of the design, acknowledging that its history is its greatest strength.”
The new Expanish headquarters not only meets the functional demands of an educational center but also offers an aesthetic and technical solution that highlights the history of Casa Degli Italiani. The combination of respectful architectural intervention, natural light, and the integration of custom furniture and greenery makes this space a prime example of how restoration can honor the past while looking toward the future.
ABOUT EL DEPARTAMENTO
El Departamento is an experimental and daring studio, founded by Alberto Elton and Marina Martín in early 2017 with the significant challenge of reevaluating the architecture and interior spaces within the historical context we live in. The studio’s ongoing research in its projects converges contemporary elements with experimentation. El Departamento aims to build a bridge between strict and rational architecture through free thinking and anti-establishment aesthetics, with the goal of challenging established norms and proposing a new vision. Each project represents an internal revolution that questions everything done so far, under the conscious premise that one cannot reinvent the wheel every day, but it’s worth trying.
You can also check another project by El Departamento here
Facts & Credits
Project title Expanish Learning Space
Typology Interior, Renovation
Location Méndez Vigo Passage, 8, Barcelona
Area 900 m2
Studio El Departamento
Architecture & Interior Design Alberto Eltini & Marina Martín
Art Direction El Departamento
Photography Miguel Fernández-Galiano
Text provided by the architects
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