4ARK has carried out the careful rehabilitation of a level C listed building located in Plaça de Montcada, in the heart of Barcelona's Ciutat Vella. This is an 18th-century residential property marked by the passage of time and transformations accumulated over centuries, including a later-added volume that has been removed to recover its original configuration. In addition to restoration work on facades, railings, and roofs, the project required a particularly delicate intervention on the entrance door. To ensure authenticity, we collaborated with a specialized restorer who partially reproduced it.
Artisanal restoration of the access door with weight reduction and chromatic integration
In the process of recovering the building's original entrance door, the assessment and work of a specialized restorer were employed, who proposed reproducing half of the door following the original composition due to the impossibility of fully utilizing the existing element.
With this intervention, the door is no longer as heavy, improving maneuverability and ease of use, thanks to its disassembly, controlled trimming, and the installation of new opening mechanisms suitable for the stone masonry. All opening systems were also checked, adjusted, and lubricated, ensuring optimal performance.
Although it was initially anticipated that differences in tone might be noticeable between the original part and the reproduced part, the artisanal work and final finish allowed for the seamless integration of the whole, such that no color change is perceived.
Facade: removal of defective stucco and application of a traditional finish
Before the work carried out by 4ARK, the facade cladding consisted of a faux exposed brick stucco, applied during the first quarter of the 20th century. This stucco, in addition to being completely detached, was poorly executed, as it lacked proper priming and was not mass-dyed, but merely repainted, as confirmed by the analysis performed. Underneath this deficient finish, an older stucco was identified, likely corresponding to a slip-coated and burnished stucco from an earlier period.
Following the diagnosis, the decision was made to completely remove the overlying stucco and replace it with a new cladding that guarantees stability, durability, and aesthetic coherence for this listed building.
In the final intervention, a troweled stucco with a simple marble finish was installed, executed with mass-dyeing to ensure a homogeneous and long-lasting color, and finished with clean detailing, free of polychromy or repainting. This finish provides a more noble, coherent image that is respectful of the facade's historical character, while improving its integration into the heritage ensemble of Ciutat Vella.
Balcony intervention: restored stone, repaired joints, and renovated railings
On the balconies, a dry cleaning of the edges and ceilings was carried out using controlled micro-projection, avoiding the use of water or chemicals to protect the stone. Once clean, a consolidation treatment was applied to reinforce consistency. The slab joints were also filled with hydraulic lime injections to ensure flexibility and stability. The upper surface of the slabs was waterproofed with an epoxy system and an elastic finish with quartz dusting to improve durability.
Finally, the railings were cleaned and painted, removing rust and applying two coats of wrought-iron finish enamel according to the chromatic study.
Controlled demolition of the added volume with maximum structural care
To recover the building's original configuration, the fourth-floor added volume was removed through a fully controlled demolition: false ceilings and asbestos-containing fiber cement boards were extracted by an authorized company, and the lightweight metal roof was dismantled without affecting the stability of the existing elements.
Concrete columns and beams were also demolished, exterior joinery was removed, masonry walls (both interior and facade enclosures) were torn down, and existing tiling was cleared. Subsequently, all cracks were cleaned and filled with hydraulic lime injections, leaving the structure prepared for its formal restoration and reconstruction faithful to the original character of the 18th-century building.
Barcelona recovers the splendor of one of its oldest buildings
4ARK's intervention at Plaça de Montcada, despite the building having over two centuries of history, has allowed for the recovery of its essence and visibility within the heritage ensemble of Ciutat Vella. Actions such as the removal of the later volume and the careful restoration of original elements (facades, roof, railings, and door) return real fragments of its past to Barcelona and ensure that these buildings continue to live and enrich the city without false recreations.
