© José Hevia Blach
The extension of the Sant-Jordi School in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia, is a clear example of how design ambitions, limited finances and an official obsession with regulations in school construction sometimes collide, and how the architects can ultimately make a design virtue out of the material constraints.
The existing secondary school for 550 pupils was completed in 1974 to plans by Josep Martorell, Oriol Bohigas and David Mackay (MBM Arquitectos). In the meantime, it has been declared a listed building, consisting of a multifaceted complex – a two-storey brick structure with different outdoor terraced areas and accessible flat roofs that are used in part as playing areas for basketball and other sports.
The existing secondary school for 550 pupils was completed in 1974 to plans by Josep Martorell, Oriol Bohigas and David Mackay (MBM Arquitectos). In the meantime, it has been declared a listed building, consisting of a multifaceted complex – a two-storey brick structure with different outdoor terraced areas and accessible flat roofs that are used in part as playing areas for basketball and other sports.