map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3

map 13 employs vaulted structure for bricktopia festival eme3
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba
all images courtesy of eme3

serving as a container for different activities during the international architecture festival eme3 in barcelona, the build it team, ‘map 13’ created ‘bricktopia’. the vaulted structure is made from brick and employs a traditional construction technique called tile vault – or ‘catalan vault’. designed using new digital tools, the geometry of the form was optimized through ‘rhinovault’, a plug-in for rhinoceros. a series of research was conducted to explore material traditions and construction knowledge of tile vaulting combined with advanced computational tools. the pavilion was developed in an enclosed area of a nineteenth-century factory, also made of brick, it shapes a new topography in the old courtyard. providing an open space for outdoor activities during the hot summer of barcelona, the structure contains areas for a bar, small stage and places to relax. the concave space was built in a short time frame and with a limited budget – it is an economical and sustainable form that offers both formal and functional versatility.

the vaulted structure combines traditional vaulted construction with new digital tools to make the complex form
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

the enclosure serves as a container for different activities
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

‘bricktopia’ contains areas for a bar, small stage and places to relax
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

interior view of the sculptural structure
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

‘bricktopia’ shapes a new topography in the old courtyard, in an enclosed area of a nineteenth-century factory

the pavilion was initiated as part of the international architecture festival eme3 in barcelona
image © eme3

a small stage for performances was created within the versatile pavilion
image © eme3

‘bricktopia’ construction
image © eme3

the use of new digital techniques enabled a complex, vaulted form
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

detail of the structure
image © manuel de lozar paula lopez barba

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