Student Hotel Melon District

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Location
Barcelona, Spain
Year
2008

MelonDistrict is not a building but a district.

The MelonDistrict can be seen as a mini urbanization, like a small area of the city, which contains the urban sculpture. The urban sculpture is like a big stone (concrete or raw plaster wall) containing all the public programs (stairs, lift, reception, terrace and pool). Where the urban sculpture and the city of Barcelona meet, is the reception, entrance and exit of the district. The urban sculpture leads up to the terrace with a swimming pool. This is the beach of Melon District. This urban sculpture connects all levels of the district. It is the main reference for orientation.

Urban and Authentic leave the context of a room and create a unique low budget design.

Urban: a space is not defined by 4 walls, but by where you are in the district, in relation to its actors/elements. No matter where you are in the building, you always feel part of the MelonDistrict.

Authentic: in the MelonDistrict there is no hierarchy nor moral of its built elements. Each material, put in its context, is considered beautiful, because of it’s authentic character. The traces and marks of the execution are visible. The decoincidence of imperfectivity gives the space the unique character and stand for the absence of design.

The single room 10.8m2 is defined by an interior, an exterior facade and a mini urban sculpture. This white mini urban sculpture organizes the room. It is a table, cupboard and shelve or whatever you want it to be: it is free of program.

Whatever you decide to do during a 24h period of your stay, in each situation you will make us of all the 10.8 m of the rooms surface.

The living room is the heart of each melon flat where the public life is taking place. It is the social hub. The social exchange is the main aspect of this space. We consider the kitchen as an altar: it is a metal in front of a golden wall.

In each level you recognize the heart, the living by its golden walls.

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