On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of the Royal Polo Club of Barcelona, and after 90 years at its facilities on the Torre Melina grounds along Avinguda Diagonal, the sports association launched an ambitious project to expand and renovate the complex. The aim was to modernize and unify a set of fragmented and undersized sports facilities.

In line with the Special Plan approved in 2019, a new building is proposed to organize the complex and incorporate additional services for the Club within new, modern, accessible, and sustainable facilities, replacing several old structures.

The proposal centers on a large, lightweight timber roof that unifies and gives coherence to the different elements of this new architectural ensemble. With a consistent rhythm and materiality, the roof acts as the guiding thread of the building, stretching across 120 meters. In addition to sheltering the new grandstands of the show jumping arena, the roof seamlessly integrates the extension’s indoor, outdoor, and circulation areas, which include two swimming pools, a multipurpose event hall, a gym, and several activity rooms. The geometry of the structure gives the roof a distinctly festive character, especially in the building’s most public area.

The design of the grandstands draws inspiration from the historic image of the original Can Ràbia grandstand—the club’s first—echoing its essence both structurally and in terms of landscape integration. As in the original design, a flowering shrub hedge separates the stands from the jumping arena, reinforcing the connection between past and present in the intervention.

The project focuses on achieving maximum structural efficiency to meet the demanding requirements of the program’s large spans. To this end, a hybrid structure is proposed, combining post-tensioned lightweight concrete slabs on the lower floors — with spans of up to 16 meters — and a lightweight roof made of CLT timber panels supported by timber trusses and shaped steel columns.

Special attention is given to the design of the joints between structural elements, not only to ensure their functionality but also to integrate them aesthetically into the architecture. These joints are left exposed, contributing to the building’s identity and character.

Wood plays a key role in many of the new building’s spaces. Natural ash and bamboo flooring, along with slotted acoustic panels made of oak and iroko, define the palette of wooden interior finishes. Combined with the spruce structural frame, they provide warmth and comfort to the building’s key areas, while also helping reduce its carbon footprint. In the main pool area, the use of wood is particularly notable, as its hygroscopic nature allows it to naturally regulate moisture absorption from the environment.

All interior spaces have been designed to establish a direct relationship with the surrounding environment, encouraging outdoor activities and social interaction. A clear example is the porticoed space on the upper floor, which supports outdoor sports practice while also serving as a venue for events, complementing the 400 m² of the large multipurpose hall. Key to this design is the use of wide operable glazed enclosures, which not only provide visual continuity with the outside but can be fully or partially opened. This allows the façade to be virtually absent for much of the year, enhancing the seamless connection between indoor and outdoor spaces.

Within the complex, members can freely move between various facilities. Therefore, it is crucial that the building’s design allows for maximum permeability, enabling new ways to connect spaces in a simple and intuitive manner. To achieve this, the building is equipped with multiple access points, avoiding the concentration of entry at a single main door. Similarly, outdoor circulation is prioritized through stairs and exterior walkways, ensuring continued accessibility to the facilities. These have been strategically placed and designed to be spacious, comfortable, and inviting.

The new building includes a renovated equestrian grandstand, two indoor heated swimming pools, a full fitness and high-performance area, directed activity rooms, and a magnificent event space. Additionally, it offers various auxiliary services that enhance the members’ experience. The new spaces feature large structural spans, resulting in spacious and versatile rooms that provide great flexibility for both sports and social uses. Furthermore, the renovation significantly improves the accessibility of the facilities and the clarity of the circulation paths.

One of the main premises of the project was that the construction of the new building had to allow for the celebration of the CSIO (Official International Show Jumping Competition), a major international event in the world of equestrianism, held annually at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona’s facilities. For this reason, the project’s planning had to adapt to ensure that, within a period of eleven months, the grandstand spaces and the exterior areas were ready to be used during this event. The industrialization of structural components and the simplification of construction solutions were key to meeting this goal.