A librarian created a decimal numerical system to organize the books in the school library where he worked and decided that 720 corresponded to architecture books. This is how the Dewey Decimal Classification system was created. "We decided our name in a very simple way: a 'b' for 'buena' (good) and 720 for architecture," explains Fermín Vázquez from the meeting room of his office at Calvet 55 street.
Vázquez worked several years in the United Kingdom as an architect and arrived in Spain in 1997, where he founded b720 together with Ana Bassat. "We started the studio twenty-four years ago with the intention of it being a company. At that time, most studios were sole proprietorships," Vázquez explains, while emphasizing that he returned from the British country with a business mindset. "I was fascinated by the organization as a service company without giving up what architects are interested in. I collaborated in a London studio that even went public." Everything is good words about his time in the United Kingdom, where he admits he experienced a more rigorous professional environment in a more competitive and demanding society.
One of the most characteristic features of the Vázquez-Bassat tandem is that they are the true exponent of the air shuttle. "We have offices in Barcelona and Madrid ---they point out---. Here we are thirty people and in the office on Padre Damián street in Madrid, ten people." They were among the first offices to implement teleworking and now operate with great flexibility, without forgetting that in-person meetings are important.
La Sagrera and the reorganization of Azca
These days they are celebrating twice because they have won two very important competitions. One is for La Sagrera Station in Barcelona and the other for the reorganization of the Azca superblock in Madrid.
The Sagrera project includes the architecture of the station and the urbanization of the surroundings. Vázquez anticipates that the most emblematic element of the building will be a large wooden canopy over the intermodal patio. "The canopy will emerge from the ground and will be part of a park that will send a message of urban sustainability ---he specifies---. Before entering the building, we have designed a large intermodal patio, an agora through which one will access the different levels of the station, with Rodalies trains on the lower part and high-speed trains on the upper part. Light will filter through skylights, which will provide luminosity and encourage the interplay between the interior and the exterior."
And the other competition they have just won is the reorganization of the Azca superblock in collaboration with Diller Scofidio, Renfro, Gustafson Porter and Bowman. The Renazca company, promoted by Merlin and GMP, will be in charge of the regeneration of this financial district of Madrid, which occupies twenty hectares on the Castellana axis. "We have designed a more participatory and active public space," says Vázquez.
The footprint of b720 in Barcelona
It is impossible to list all the public works that this architectural studio has done in the city and its metropolitan area, but we can highlight two that have modernized its look in recent years, such as The City of Justice (2008) and the Mercat dels Encants (2013).
What can you highlight about the City of Justice? "From a functional point of view, it has been a great success. There is no comparison with the courts of before. And, from an architectural point of view, it transmits calm, which is what justice represents. This link between Barcelona and L'Hospitalet has become a clean area that offers serenity. In addition, when you enter the premises, you find a transparent, clear and fluid space. It works well."
And, about the Mercat dels Encants? "It was a very complicated project because we wanted to preserve the nature of a flea market. A street market is an informal thing that is not designed. But in this case it was a quality space on the front line of Barcelona, next to the National Theater and the Auditorium. We proposed a square without forms because it has no limits. The most important thing was not to lose the spirit of the Encants, its character so beloved by Barcelonans. And we wanted to give it a physical dynamism that is achieved with the canopy. It has no enclosures. It is a physical staircase without being a building. Visitors do not know they are going up. The play of mirrors is a desire for dignification. A market is a desirable place. From the market you can see the city."