El Timbal

Project selected for the exhibition “Import WB_Export BCN Re-activate the city”. Inaugurated at ULB in Brussels in 2018 and shown at the Santa Mònica Art Centre in Barcelona in 2019. The project arose from the need for El Timbal Theatre School to move its activities to a new space. The relocation had to be completed in a very tight timeframe: 12 months. A team of five cooperatives, all part of the Solidarity Economy Network, joined forces with El Timbal to make this possible. CoopdeMà SCCL provided legal, labor, and financial consulting; A+4 Consultors d’Estratègia led commercial and communication strategy; and finally, LaCol SCCL and Celobert Cooperativa developed the architectural and engineering project, respectively.

The research: 4 months - An extensive search was carried out to find a space in Barcelona that met the specific needs of a theatre school. At the end of 2014, the lease was secured for a former supermarket located at Roger de Flor 85. A significant transformation was required to meet the functional and identity needs of El Timbal.

The project: 4 months - Through several sessions with the El Timbal team, the project was defined — from the spatial layout to the environmental strategies adapted to the space and intended use. The core concept was to introduce a series of activity-based container-boxes into the existing volume. Each box type is shaped and textured according to its function: classrooms (acoustic boxes), meeting rooms (work boxes), and changing rooms and toilets (wet boxes).

In order to minimise the environmental impact of the building, several measures were introduced to reduce energy demand and enhance passive performance (cross ventilation in corridors and classrooms, increased thermal insulation, and the installation of five bioclimatic DeploSun skylights to provide natural lighting). The efficiency of active systems was also improved (optimised climate control and CO₂ sensors to regulate air renewal). Environmental strategies were developed in collaboration with Societat Orgànica, specialists in sustainable building performance.

The construction: 5 months - The construction of the new Timbal took 21 weeks. It began with the demolition and cleaning of the old supermarket’s structure, followed by the progressive installation of the various container-boxes that now define the space. Wood and black cork were the most used materials for their multiple functions and low environmental impact. A major effort was also made to preserve the original cast-iron columns, which have become part of El Timbal Theatre School’s identity over time.