Ideas | Taking what preexists as a departure point

Taking what preexists as a departure point. When you start to mull over the initial ideas for a project, what is already in place plays an important role. The terrain, environment, city, an old building etc.; spaces where different time periods and moments in history are juxtaposed. Taking the environment as a departure point makes it possible to create a dialogue between the contemporary and the preexisting, resulting in a project that respects and emphasises the passing of time.

That’s why we view some existing buildings as palimpsests. Like medieval manuscripts that were scratched off so they could be reused but still have traces of the old writing, what preexists in a building reveals the scars of former restoration work that has been superimposed and blended. Preexistence: in both archaeology and architecture what is oldest and most hidden is considered to have immeasurable value.

Natural wood flooring laid in a herringbone pattern.

Taking what preexists as a departure point guarantees a dialogue between what is old and contemporary building work. Soon we’ll be able to tell you more about the evolution of our new “1928 home” project, which is based in an old building in Valencia that plays a key role in how the concept of the project was conceived.

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