“We found enormous silos, a tall smoke stack, four kilometers of underground tunnels, machine rooms in good shape… This was in 1973 and it was our first encounter with the Cement Factory.” It sounds like the beginning of a really good story, yet this one is real. La Fábrica, just outside Barcelona, is a Cement Factory turned into a home and studio by architect Ricardo Bofill. It is an ongoing project and will never be finished, but nevertheless the factory has been completely transformed.

Fit for a Queen

I don’t know about you, but this is where I would live had I been the Queen of Tatooine*. The whole factory has such a sacred feel. I would wander for hours looking for new hidden spaces in this vast landscape of concrete buildings. Admiring the once dilapidated silos, now adorned like ancient castles with church windows and beautiful foliage. Ricardo has really capitalized on the mystical ambience of the factory’s space. Just look at the old factory hall that has been transformed into a conference and exhibition room, dubbed La Catedral. The name says it all. Just looking at it makes me giddy with excitement.

La Catedral

The studio

The interiors

Exteriors

So what do you think, are you as amazed as I am? You can read all about La Fábrica at Ricardo Bofills homepage here. And if you liked this post, make sure to press that heart below and leave me a comment.

---

*Yes, it’s a Star Wars reference.