Sant Martí

The most distinctive example of industrial architecture that we find in Barcelona can be found on Carrer Tànger. Ca l’Aranyó is a classic textile building based on Manchester’s industrial model and which nowadays houses an audiovisual Campus.

Ca l’Aranyó was built in 1878 in the Poblenou neighbourhood. Despite being owned by a Catalan businessman, Claudi Aranyó, the company that founded it was English, as were the plans, technicians and machines. All of this British stamp can clearly be seen in the use of brick as the main building material and the use of iron to erect the large naves. It is a typical textile factory with a ground floor and two upper storeys, and a double slope roof that covers the upper atics. The chimney is outlined beside one of the naves and gives character to the whole building.

Whereas it used to be used for the production of wool, Ca l’Aranyó is now a multidisciplinary space in the old part of the factory, where all kinds of initiatives, resources, companies and institutions from the audiovisual industries are gathered. This is another example of the renovation in this part of Barcelona integrated in the 22@ technological area and it is, without a doubt, worth visiting.