The RCR Station: a building like a landscape that wants to embrace you

ManresaThe interpretation of the site is one of the essential elements of the architecture of Rafael Aranda, Carme Pigem, and Ramon Vilalta (RCR). These architects from Olot have often worked in the Garrotxa landscape and have also demonstrated their talent for doing so in cities. In their most recent work, La Parada, the innovative residence they designed in Manresa for the Ampans Foundation, the building clearly improves the site, originally a "nondescript" plot on the outskirts of Manresa, as Pigem says. This residual site was only distinguished by its rather elongated shape, measuring 150 x 45 m, and the RCR have made it their own with a stepped building that has the vocation of a landscape, where the boundaries between the public space and the residence's garden are blurred.

In front of the Parada is the green axis of the old Santpedor road, still under construction, and Manresa City Council has allowed the Parada garden to extend beyond the strict limits of its garden with eight trees that will enhance the future municipal landscaping. When they all grow, the place will be a joy.

The Ampans Foundation is a benchmark in Catalonia in the care and integration of people with intellectual disabilities. They were the first to propose a project to the RCRs. when they won the Pritzker Prize, the Nobel Prize for architects, in 2017Their commitment is to create an "innovative, deinstitutionalized" environment for the people they support, as the foundation says. "Their proposal moved us," says Aranda. Around sixty seniors will live in La Parada, some with assisted living, while others will live more independently. The residential units are individual and accommodate two, four, and six people. All of them are located on a staff hallway that Aranda defines as a "communication spine."

The building, which stands out for its corrugated skin where vegetation will grow, includes the third restaurant managed by Ampans and training classrooms. The work is almost complete. The restaurant, called Divers, is scheduled to open on January 8, and the Generalitat (Catalan government) is working on zoning the residence's spaces so that the first users can arrive during the first half of 2026. "For us, it represents a step forward in social architecture," says Janeta Camps, director of residential services for the Ampans Foundation. "We didn't want to create just another building, but a building with the people who will live there in mind, how they will move around, how they will interact. We have created public outdoor spaces to foster relationships and community participation for people with disabilities, who sometimes have difficulties in terms of social inclusion," explains the director.

"The building is based on a system so that, later, if necessary, changes can be made to the layout and ensure it doesn't become obsolete," explains Aranda. Inside, the spaciousness of the spaces and the sense of serenity provided by the clean lines and light colors of the paint and flooring are striking. "The building is a bold attempt to create a healthy space within the city," says Vilalta. "The design of the Parada is not a formal matter, but rather the result of a desire to generate well-being, of a holistic architecture that encompasses all dimensions, including the spiritual."

For Ramon Vilalta, the Parada is like "a landscape that embraces you." Thus, the nature present in the building is as recreated as it is real, crowned by the views of Montserrat from the rooftop. The sinuous lacquered aluminum sheet cladding of the facade evokes the branches of a tree. The garden features oaks, holm oaks, and poplars, and ivy and other climbing plants gradually take over the terrace structures. Specifically, for Aranda, these spaces are more than just terraces. "They are outdoor living rooms," the architect emphasizes, in line with the intermediate spaces of traditional architecture such as porches, galleries, and exits.

On the other hand, the architects have implemented environmental efficiency measures, including aerothermal energy, photovoltaic panels on the roofs, and a tank to collect rainwater for irrigation. The building's budget is around €12 million. The price per square meter is around €2,000, within the usual range for public housing in Catalonia. There is still space available at the rear of the site, and Ampans and the RCR could expand the project later. "Now we have to consolidate this project, but it's true that we have waiting lists in all areas: work, training, and housing, and we don't rule it out, which is why we bought the plot," Camps concludes.