The old meets new in the renovation of the Sant Francesc Church, located in the town of Santpedor, Spain.
Measuring some 950 ft²and originally built by Franciscan priests between 1721 and 1729, this impressive but disused space was made habitable again through a 7 year renovation project completed by the architect David Closes to transform the abandoned building into an auditorium and multifunctional cultural space.
photography by © Jordi Surroca
The rough, damaged facade has been left mostly intact, save for a few powerful modern incursions. Spaces and dimensions of the nave were left intact and constant, yet the lighting within was maximized through the additional windows, which although bringing of much light, are themselves not overwhelming. The interior is an amalgam of many sorts. Man-made steel meets natural rock, old meets new, old requirements meet new ones. Modern functions such as WCs and reading rooms had to be added to the scheme for functionality purposes. Closes sought situational solutions- implementing them within where possible to maintain the building’s unity or located outside for the same purpose.
photography by © Jordi Surroca
Courtesy of David Closes