The most interesting and motivating projects, although perhaps also the most challenging, are refurbishment projects that aim to maintain the essence and spirit that they had previously.
Going back to square one and beginning with a clean slate, getting rid of everything and starting from scratch with a different style, character, new materials, is relatively easy. However, giving a new look to spaces while preserving their spirit is no mean feat. It involves a (hard) double task:
- On the one side, it involves restoration: knowing how to make full use of what is already there.
- On the other side, it requires imitation: rebuilding the ‘empty’ spaces, based on what used to be there, creating a seamless aesthetic which passes by practically unnoticed.
Initially, the refurbishment project may seem easier because the aesthetic aspect of many of the elements has already been decided. However, what about reconfiguring the spaces or introducing new materials? What new components can you use to respond to new needs? This all has conditions imposed...
A good job in this respect is based on a solid understanding of style, historical documentation, a vision of the future and a high degree of precision, exquisite taste and passion for the task at hand.
In view of all of the above, we cannot fail to mention the work performed by Mosaics Torra in the Casa Museu Gaudí in Parque Güell, creating exact replicas of the designs of the original architect, Antoni Gaudí i Cornet.A painstaking and costly task that has achieved results that were certainly well worth the effort.
