Espailotus, espai en moviment, offers the residents of the Sant Gervasi neighbourhood a small, well-cared-for refuge to promote their health and wellbeing. The centre promotes the attention and care of body, mind and soul as key factors to feel better about oneself. Among its wide offer you can choose between yoga, tai chi, pilates and barre training, and body expression workshops through dance, among many others.
Many of the disciplines offered by the centre require you to look inwards and develop your concentration in order to carry out an effective session. To avoid distractions and focus attention on the here and now, it is necessary to block out external stimuli typical of the city such as the hectic pace, news, noise and pollution.
Convinced of the importance of a space to achieve this, we are committed to a conscious architecture that integrates space and people in all phases of the process. With the collaboration and commitment of the whole team to the project and the values it represents, we achieve the balance and harmony that provide the serenity necessary to promote this inner perception and to achieve mindfulness.
The needs of the centre
Espailotus is located in Modolell street in a ground floor premises of approximately 60 m² consisting of the main room, a changing room and a toilet.
The main space is open-plan, with large openings and a firm desire to show itself to the street. It is equipped with mirrors, bars, fabrics and wooden frames. The changing room generates a more intimate space at the back of the main room reserved for Pilates practice and personal training. The bathroom takes on a personality of its own with a backlit tensioned fabric ceiling that makes it spacious and luminous, despite being a small, enclosed space.
The different areas are finished in the same chromatic range to give continuity to the centre as a whole and to gain a feeling of spaciousness.
The external enclosure, made of aluminium with a thermal bridge break and glass with a corten lacquered finish, guarantees good thermal and acoustic conditions.
The design of the openings responds to the centre’s spirit of relating to the neighbourhood and it is through them that the centre is perceived as changing and moving. The furniture is integrated into the carpentry creating intermediate spaces that favour the relationship between the interior and the exterior, acting as a cushion and not as a filter. The lighting and the curtains determine the degree of intimacy, filtering light and views and guaranteeing a good degree of privacy when necessary.
The ceiling, made of absorbent wood fibre panels and suspended wooden slats, integrates the heating, ventilation, electrical and lighting installations. Its design maintains the maximum height offered by the premises, includes support elements for activities with fabrics, allows the installations to be easily accessed and makes future modifications possible.
Within the complexity of the ceiling, it is worth mentioning the lighting installation. This is adjustable in intensity and presents different scenes to create the atmosphere required for each of the practices carried out in the centre, whether it is dance, training or relaxation.
It consists of general lighting in the centre of the room, side spotlights with indirect light and decorative lamps and points of light integrated into the furniture. The set is completed with the incorporation of the espailotus logo with backlit corporeal lettering. This lettering presides over the room, becomes the backdrop for the stage and highlights the natural cladding. Its presence is perceived from the outside of the premises and acts as an eye-catcher.
Harmonisation of space
The geo-biology and bio-habitability study carried out by Alicia Tornos detects a groundwater flow in the central part of the site and some tension in the Hartman lines. The Bagua is fairly balanced, with an extension to the northeast area that contemplates the bathroom. The northern area is small, the southern area receives no sunlight and the only openings are on the façade, facing west and with afternoon sun.
The design of the proposal intrinsically incorporates the harmonisation of space by applying criteria of health and bio-habitability, feng shui and sacred geometry.
The KUA MOUNTAIN, which is identified with knowledge and reflection, is activated. This energy favours introspection and makes it possible to discern between what is truly important and what is superfluous. It also allows us to get rid of everything obsolete and outdated that is no longer appropriate.
The EARTH element is increased by covering the walls with clay and incorporating ochre colours. The WATER element is activated with organic shapes, rounding the edges and introducing curved shapes in the form of curtains and decorative objects. FIRE is enhanced by placing mirrors on the south wall and creating areas of light by playing with the tones of the sun.
It activates the solstitial rectangle that orders and balances the energies of the place offering a strong sense of stability and security. This line is conducive to life and personal evolution.
It activates the circle of cosmic fire that helps to awaken inner light and gives strength to the processes that reveal the personal path indicating the direction to follow. This path expands beyond the centre itself and becomes a transforming power and a motor of change.
Natural coatings
We are aware that the choice of finishes determines the indoor environment, we are committed to natural materials that improve air quality, regulate humidity and temperature and do not emit toxins. These, together with good ventilation and the use of natural cleaning products, create a healthy habitat.
The natural clay covering incorporates the EARTH element to the space and gives it great beauty and a characteristic smell, while providing many other benefits. It is a natural material, suitable for people with allergies or chemical sensitivities. It does not emit volatile organic compounds, is breathable, antistatic and environmentally friendly.
Clay improves the thermal insulation and acoustic quality of the room, absorbs bad smells and has the capacity to absorb humidity. Both its composition and its texture make it unique and this is accentuated by the presence of light. The lighting, whether natural or artificial, gives it different nuances and makes it changeable throughout the day.
Natural oak wood flooring provides a great deal of warmth. Its surface treatment keeps the pore open so that it offers a high acoustic attenuation capacity and maintains its hygrothermal characteristics. It is a noble material of high quality and is very pleasant to the touch.
The wallpaper, with plant motifs and colours within the general chromatic range, gives the ensemble dynamism and growth.
Natural fibre fabrics and textiles offer a harmonious combination of colours, textures and finishes that help to create an intimate and relaxed atmosphere. Materials such as cotton, linen, esparto grass, hemp or jute are present in curtains, pillows, rugs, lamps and baskets.
Plants are included in the design with the intention of being close to nature and helping to relax the nervous system. They purify the air and help to regulate humidity.
The result? A tremendously comfortable space that embraces you, where worries and haste disappear and time stands still. A great little refuge that allows you to find and connect with yourself in the centre of the city.
Roser Olle
Architect (specialised in conscious architecture)