This renovation takes place in Sant Quintí, a 1970s building located across from the modernist Hospital de Sant Pau. It was the first commission for three young, newly graduated architects: Luis Twose Roura (1948–2023), Juan Arias i Roig (1948–2021), and Antonio Pérez de la Vega (1948)—in fact, it was the final degree project for one of them. Their approach was to create small rental apartments, designed for both doctors and families with relatives undergoing treatment at the neighboring hospital. As a result, the common areas were designed to be spacious and welcoming, fostering interaction among residents who were often only there temporarily.
The importance of these common spaces is reflected in the architectural language and color palette they applied:
+White tiles in the courtyards to maximize natural light down to the ground floor.
+Yellow for the apartment doors.
+Blue for the installation channels.
+Red to highlight the spiral staircase and a freestanding column on the ground floor.
Thus, color became a tool for spatial orientation.
When we took on the renovation of one of these apartments, we discussed with Luis Twose the idea of staying faithful to the building’s original design language, rather than imposing something new. The result:
+White tiles cladding the exterior of the bathroom,
+Red applied to the painted steel elements,
+Yellow on the doors,
+Blue in the kitchen and bathroom installations.
"It looks like you’re creating a ‘Catalunya in Miniature,’” Luis joked when we explained our approach.
"Yes, but it deserves it," we replied.
