{"id":92998,"date":"2025-10-24T14:50:02","date_gmt":"2025-10-24T14:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/?p=92998"},"modified":"2025-10-24T14:50:02","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T14:50:02","slug":"mesura-at-casa-batllo-a-new-life-for-the-second-floor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ccmagazine.es\/en\/mesura-at-casa-batllo-a-new-life-for-the-second-floor\/","title":{"rendered":"MESURA at Casa Batll\u00f3: a new life for the second floor"},"content":{"rendered":"

From January 2026, one of the most hidden corners of Casa Batll\u00f3<\/strong><\/a> will open to the public for the very first time: its second floor. A 230 m\u00b2 space, closed for decades, will be transformed by Barcelona-based studio MESURA<\/strong><\/a> into a new gallery dedicated to contemporary art. Curated under the Casa Batll\u00f3 Contemporary<\/strong><\/a> programme, this project marks a new chapter for the iconic building, coinciding with the centenary of Antoni Gaud\u00ed<\/em>\u2019s death in 2026.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The first exhibition in the new space will be Beyond the Fa\u00e7ade<\/em> by acclaimed British studio United Visual Artists (UVA)<\/em>, who will also be responsible for that year\u2019s fa\u00e7ade mapping. However, MESURA<\/em>\u2019s intervention goes far beyond architectural renovation: it is a dialogue with Gaud\u00ed<\/em>\u2019s legacy, approached from a contemporary and deeply respectful perspective.<\/p>\n

A new cultural milestone for Barcelona<\/h6>\n

The opening of this floor consolidates Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em>\u2019s role not just as a modernist jewel, but as a living, evolving cultural hub. From 2026, the new level will host two exhibitions per year and can be visited either as part of the standard tour or with a separate ticket.<\/p>\n

Maria Bernat, director of Casa Batll\u00f3 Contemporary<\/em>, explains:“We aim to foster a dialogue between past and future, placing Gaud\u00ed\u2019s legacy within a contemporary framework. Through art and architecture, we explore his radical vision from today\u2019s perspective, while remaining true to his innovative and disruptive spirit.”<\/em><\/p>\n

MESURA\u2019s architectural intervention<\/h6>\n

Known for its sensitive approach, contemporary aesthetics, and ability to engage with history through design, MESURA<\/em> has envisioned this project as a quiet echo of Gaud\u00ed<\/em>\u2019s work. Their goal is neither imitation nor competition, but rather resonance.<\/p>\n

The original architectural elements that have survived over time \u2014 such as woodwork and stained glass \u2014 have been preserved, while a new architectural language enriches the space without altering its identity. The most striking gesture is a curved metallic ceiling, screen-printed with concentric wave patterns that evoke the impact of a single drop of water. Produced using robotic technology, this ceiling serves both a structural and symbolic role: it is the new “sky” of contemporary art at Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“Intervening in a Gaud\u00ed building is both a dream and a great responsibility. Our aim was to create a whisper that adds to his universe without disturbing it”<\/em>, says Carlos Dimas<\/em>, partner at MESURA.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

MESURA: design with soul and purpose<\/h6>\n

At CC\/magazine<\/em>, we\u2019re familiar with MESURA<\/em>\u2019s work \u2014 in fact, our latest print edition, The Unusual Barcelona<\/strong><\/a>, features an in-depth interview with the studio. Founded in 2010 by five partners after winning the Europan award, MESURA<\/em> has established itself as a key player in Barcelona\u2019s new design scene. Their transdisciplinary approach \u2014 spanning architecture, urban planning and furniture design \u2014 turns each project into an open-ended investigation.<\/p>\n

Their intervention in Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em> is also a declaration of intent: to reimagine heritage not through nostalgia, but through active creation and critical respect.<\/p>\n

Beyond the fa\u00e7ade: art, technology and perception<\/h6>\n

The inaugural exhibition could not be in better hands. United Visual Artists (UVA)<\/em>, the studio led by Matt Clark<\/em>, will make their Barcelona debut with an immersive installation exploring the cycles of life, light and movement. UVA<\/em> has previously exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts<\/em> (London), YCAM<\/em> (Tokyo), and the Sydney Biennale<\/em>, and now bring their vision to Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em> with a proposal set to surprise both locals and international visitors.<\/p>\n

Beyond the Fa\u00e7ade<\/em> will open on 31 January 2026 and serve as a conceptual extension of the annual fa\u00e7ade mapping, also directed by Matt Clark<\/em>. The fa\u00e7ade \u2014 one of the world\u2019s most iconic canvases \u2014 becomes the starting point for a narrative that unfolds inside the building.<\/p>\n

21st-Century heritage<\/h6>\n

The new gallery is part of Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em>\u2019s Master Plan<\/em>, a roadmap initiated in 2015 to guide its preservation, use and future projection. Supported by Spain\u2019s Ministry of Culture<\/em>, UNESCO<\/em> and local institutions, the plan views heritage as a living entity \u2014 one that can evolve with sensitivity, purpose and innovation.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Gary Gautier,<\/em> General Manager of Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em>, summarises the vision: “We aspire for Casa Batll\u00f3 to remain a cultural beacon, both locally and globally \u2014 a reference point for how living heritage can be enriched through creativity and art”<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Casa Batll\u00f3 Contemporary: a creative platform<\/h6>\n

Since its launch in 2021, Casa Batll\u00f3 Contemporary<\/em> has collaborated with artists such as Refik Anadol<\/em>, Sof\u00eda Crespo<\/em> and Quayola<\/em>, producing both fa\u00e7ade mappings and works within the building. The opening of this new gallery marks another step in that direction: providing space for contemporary voices that don\u2019t preserve the past in amber, but instead engage with it from the present.<\/p>\n

Artists are given access to the Casa<\/em>\u2019s private archives, curatorial support, and a privileged setting in which to develop immersive, thoughtful works that connect with Gaud\u00ed\u2019s spirit.<\/p>\n

A living legacy<\/h6>\n

Once used as a conservation workshop, the second floor of Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em> is reborn as an exhibition space. This architectural and symbolic gesture is the perfect metaphor for what it means to care for heritage: not merely preserving it, but projecting it into the future.<\/p>\n

As Xavier Villanueva<\/em>, Chief Architect of Casa Batll\u00f3<\/em>, puts it: “Something we imagined ten years ago will soon become a reality \u2014 to revive a historic space, open it up to the city and give it a new use that expands Gaud\u00ed\u2019s legacy”<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Save the date.<\/p>\n

(*)<\/strong> Fa\u00e7ade photo by Claudia Mauri\u00f1o, MESURA renders and UVA mapping.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From January 2026, one of the most hidden corners of Casa Batll\u00f3 will open to the public for the very first time: its second floor. A 230 m\u00b2 space, closed for decades, will be transformed by Barcelona-based studio MESURA into a new gallery dedicated to contemporary art. Curated under the Casa Batll\u00f3 Contemporary programme, this […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":92918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5959,5918,5916,5902,5901,5900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92998","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-architecture","category-inspiration-en-2","category-inspiration-en","category-exhibitions","category-artists","category-art-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMESURA at Casa Batll\u00f3: a new life for the second floor<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the transformation of Casa Batll\u00f3\u2019s second floor into a contemporary art gallery by MESURA, launching in January 2026.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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