Arquid has extended the facilities of the cocoa cream company Idilia Foods to optimise and increase its production capacity. The building envelope stands out by having a play of colours applied that projects the new contemporary industrial image for the company. The new building is unified with the existing complex using the same precast concrete facade material and the construction of a new connecting walkway.
The need to optimise and expand the Idilia Foods factory in Parets del Vallès, Barcelona (Spain), has led to the design of a new building to accommodate new production facilities and expand storage for one of its well-known cocoa cream brands. This opportunity also serves to improve the existing facilities, through specific and adaptive reforms for the integration of operations between the two buildings, and to create new office space.
Precast concrete facades with coloured grooves
The new building had to fit aesthetically and harmoniously into the existing industrial and natural environment. For this purpose, construction materials such as precast concrete, which are already used in existing buildings, were chosen. By using this robust material, a solid, durable and low-maintenance appearance is achieved, while projecting a modern and contemporary industrial image.
It is on the facade that the new colour palette defined by Arquid is also visible, which functions as a signage to mark and orientate the different industrial processes that take place in the building. In order for these to be perceived both from the inside and outside of the building, the range of colours is applied in the grooves of the prefabricated concrete panels of the envelope. In defining this graphic identity, instead of considering only red, the architectural studio proposed a graduated palette of warm reds and oranges inspired by the Idilia logo. Therefore, it reflects a cheerful and vibrant personality and the distinctive values of the brand.
New footbridge connecting the buildings
To connect the old building with the new one, a new walkway was built which, without going outside, emphasises the routes that users and visitors will take and defines the different manufacturing phases through which the product passes. This construction element was a challenge for Arquid given the difference in height between the two factories and the need to comply with the clearance height for the passage of walkways between the two factories.
Interior spaces bathed in natural light
Inside the new building, brightness takes centre stage thanks to the contrast between the open black ceilings and the white materials and surfaces. Therefore, that reflect the natural light coming in through the large polycarbonate sheets on the façade and the walkway. This lightweight material also allows privacy from the outside and provides effective protection from direct sunlight.
The interior signage and design integrates the coded colours to define the stages of the manufacturing process and enhances the functionality and accessibility of the site. At the same time, other construction elements, such as locks and railings, also play with the chosen colours, serving as a powerful advertising tool for the brand's image.
The extension of the Idilia Foods facilities is a project that reflects and catalyses the change that is taking place in industrial areas. The use of materials and the innovative application of colour, contribute to reflect the vision of showing a new industrial image that is accessible, attractive and in tune with the surrounding environment.
About ARQUID
Based in Madrid, ARQUID is an international architecture studio specializing in the management and design of small and large projects in various sectors. With a creative and functional approach, the ARQUID team fuses architecture and design with their extensive experience in project management, turning each project into a unique and personalized space. A 360-degree approach where all the details are an integral part of the whole.
At ARQUID, architecture is lived as an artistic discipline. Like the creation of a song, their designs are born from the shared flow of ideas between the entire team and evolve through a working process in which the best of each proposal is filtered, giving the client the best options and the ability to decide and fuse what he likes the most. From this creative process, unique and personalized ideas are born, which are never repeated; each project being an artistic piece with its own melody.
ARQUID has been shortlisted for the Dezeen Awards 2021 in the 'workspaces' category for its 'FICUS OFFICE' project, and for the Best Workspaces 2023 for the MONEX offices project.
