This building that connects the city of Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea is presented as a volumetric, clear, and simple piece, which unites two main premises, functionality and comfort. The building extends its ability to embark and disembark passengers from Carnival Corporation & PLC ships, in the shortest possible time, complying with strict safety requirements and organizing a complex functional program.

The architecture of the building allows these operations to be carried out providing comfort and well-being to people, due to the wide and intuitive spaces that provide natural lighting thanks to a system of skylights on the roof and large glass openings that offer an impressive framed view of Barcelona.

The set of constructive solutions that make up the building confers a high degree of sustainability: the ventilated facades improve the thermal characteristics of the building, and the light colors of the ceiling allow reflection and avoid the “heat island” effect.

The conception of the building envelope starts from a logical configuration of the facades, where each orientation obtains a different solution, responding accordingly: the East and West facades offer large openings to frame the views and allow the entry of daylight, but also be protected from direct sunlight thanks to its large overhangs that are used to place a large protected terrace. The south façade has a linear opening that provides enough light to avoid excessive sunlight and on the contrary, the north façade, which gives access to the ship, opens completely and integrates the open walkway as an extension of the building itself.

The structure of the building is made up mainly of precast concrete, which gives the order and regularity of the interior and exterior spaces, being at the same time an optimal system in terms of speed and assembly efficiency. The roof is completed with a structural tie-down system, which allows the creation of a wide column-free space.

The interior finishes, clean and simple, respond to the criteria of resistance, given the intensive use of space, the acoustic criteria that respond to the large dimensions of the rooms, and the strong will to provide the interior with a relaxed, comfortable, and full of light, using soft and neutral colors, which do not overwhelm the passenger and allow them to observe the city from a quiet and protected place. The interiors are completed with a series of furniture for waiting rooms that adapt to the daily scale through various configurations and the use of warm materials, such as wood, moving away from the general configuration of this type of space, generally cold and impersonal.

The new Carnival Corporation & PLC terminal is a balanced piece of architecture that combines design, functionality, and comfort, which welcomes or says goodbye to the passenger in comfortable and welcoming spaces from which to observe the city of Barcelona.