ICAC Tabacalera

The proposal is based on a careful integration of the new ICAC headquarters within the Tabacalera complex, responding to its architectural context and reinforcing the building’s relationship with the archaeological environment. The project enhances permeability throughout the site, establishing clear connections between the city, the complex, and the necropolis.

Module 6 articulates different levels and conditions: the necropolis in the subsoil, the public spaces on the ground floor, and the elevated platform of Tabacalera. A continuous plinth resolves these different levels, creating an elevated walkway that guarantees access and offers a new perspective on the archaeological remains. This plinth becomes a key interface between research, public access, and the historical substrate.

The main access is clearly placed between buildings. The main public entrance is located between the ICAC and the MNAT, aligned with the necropolis, while a secondary access independently serves staff and logistics at the other end of the building. This dual system allows for flexible use and a clear separation of flows.

The ground floor is conceived as open and public, directly connected to the city and the archaeological context, accommodating exhibition and outreach uses. On the upper floors, the program becomes progressively more restricted, featuring research and workspaces, as well as a semi-public knowledge space on the first floor.

The intervention remains intentionally minimal: the structure, envelope, and spatial logic of the existing building are largely preserved. Transformations focus on strategic actions: the opening of a prominent atrium for light and ventilation, and the reorganization of access and circulation. The subsoil is left almost untouched, allowing future archaeological excavations to take place as a living process within the building.