“Cellers Cooperatius. Cooperative Wineries”, restoration of 8 modernist wineries

Barberà de la Conca, Cornudella de Montsant, l’Espluga de Francolí, Falset, Gandesa, Nulles, Pinell de Bari y Rocafort de Queralt, Tarragona, Cataluña.
Grand Prix, Medal/Award in the category Conservation / Conservation and adaptive reuse in the year 2014.

Dating of the building: 1913 and 1922.

Applicant: Maria Dolors Portús, Anna Busom Arruebo.

Reason for the award :

The jury admired this significant project as an example of conservation of labour heritage, where the excellent group of buildings still in use maintains its original function; the jury was also impressed by the cooperation between public and private entities.

  • © Jacqueline Pacheco - Generalitat de Catalunya
  • © Jacqueline Pacheco - Generalitat de Catalunya
  • © Jacqueline Pacheco - Generalitat de Catalunya
  • OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Built between 1913 and 1922, these eight wineries, beautiful examples of Catalan Modernism, have been continuously dedicated to the function for which they were constructed.

The Cooperative Wineries programme aims to restore and improve eight Modernist wineries in the municipalities of Falset, Cornudella de Montsant, Rocafort de Queralt, Barberà de la Conca, Nulles, Gandesa, Pinell de Brai, and Espluga de Francolí, all built between 1913 and 1922. The Programme is the result of the collaboration agreement signed in January 2009 between the Catalonia Regional Government and La Caixa – Obra Social for the conservation and enhancement of these remarkable monuments.

The restoration and conservation actions have been completed with dissemination actions, such as a website with information on modernist wineries in Catalonia, the organization of tourist routes, and the exhibition “Bodegas. Cooperativismo + Modernismo”, exhibited in Barcelona, ​​Brussels, and Tortosa. The signing of agreements with the owners, selection of architects, and realization of the architectural project began in 2009, and the conservation works two years later. Between 2013 and 2014, all the projects were executed and the works completed.

The main objective of the Cooperative Wineries programme has been the preservation and revaluation of the architectural heritage of contemporary rural Catalonia, made up of buildings of great historical and cultural value creating a heritage complex. The task was to recover architectural elements that could be damaged as a result of the Civil War, postwar, or in some cases of disuse while maintaining the original essence of the buildings. With this objective, the historical documentation relative to its constructive origin has been analyzed to detect the source of its pathologies and introduce pertinent improvements. In some cases, graphic and computerized methods have been applied to study the behaviour of the structure under the usual loads to detect the origin of the pathologies (roof slippage, arch deformation, cracks). In addition to the rehabilitation of the structure, it is worth highlighting aspects of tightness, correction of defects that caused deformities, and recovery of façades.

As a result of the restorations, these buildings, abundant in space and light, have once again become monumental references for their towns and villages.

Others awards in Cataluña: