Photo: Adrìa Goula

Located in the historic neighbourhood of El Ravel in Barcelona, Mateo Arquitectura have recently completed the Filmoteca – a two screen cinema with exhibition gallery, library, archive and seminar rooms.

Commissioned by the ICIC (Institut Català de les Indústries Culturals), the Filmoteca has been constructed at a cost of €120 million. Its architects have conceived it as a building of pure structure, without cladding or finishes, to fit into its crumbling surrounding cityscape.

The project works with scale, allowing the building to relate formally with neighbouring buildings and prompting the decision to underground the cinemas. The ground floor is designed as a passageway for users of the film theatre, connecting the street on one side to the plaza on the other. The Plaça de Salvador Seguí, in front of the building, is a new space that introduces light and air into the area.

Photo: Adrìa Goula

Photo: Adrìa Goula

Photo: Adrìa Goula

Photo: Adrìa Goula

Photo: Adrìa Goula

Floor plan