Intervening in a signature building is often a very delicate matter. One of these more recent cases is that of the French Institute of Barcelona, ​​one of the most emblematic works of Josep Antoni Coderch (1913-1984). The owner, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is underway with a renovation and refurbishment project whose scope is dividing the Barcelona architecture sector. There is consensus that maintenance work is needed to bring the building up to date and improve its energy efficiency, but the ministry's desire to relocate the French consulate to Barcelona and install a cafeteria is raising a storm, although the French authorities and those responsible for the institute itself are handling the project discreetly. work of the Freaks Architecture studio, which won the corresponding competition in 2023.