From cement factory to creative hub: inside Bofill Taller’s adaptable architectural practice
I’m hurtling along the N-340 highway on the outskirts of Barcelona when, suddenly, the skyline of the Sant Just Desvern township is punctuated by a series of tall chimneys painted in a range of colourful hues. The structures – part of a former cement factory – are the headquarters of Bofill Taller de Arquitectura, who I’m visiting ahead of Monocle’s Quality of Life Conference, taking place in the Catalan capital from 4 to 6 September. We’ll be visiting the buildings, known as La Fábrica, as part of the conference line-up but I’m here to meet some of the team and more about their radical approach to architectural practice.
The firm was founded by Ricardo Bofill in 1963, a man who was as much activist as architect. He was expelled from Barcelona’s design school in 1957 for his opposition to Franco and his early work included social housing that looked as if it was lifted from surrealist paintings. By the early 1970s, he had purchased La Fábrica and turned it into a live-work space, defying the city bylaws of the time. The space – according to Ricardo’s son Pablo, who is now the firm’s CEO – has evolved with the practice. “It’s a living place – not something that you need to preserve or protect,” he told me as we walked the complex. “This was defined by my father and transmitted to me.” It’s a philosophy that has been paying dividends. Since 2020, the firm has grown from 50 to 250 people and La Fábrica has been changing to support the work. Private galleries have become offices, abandoned mezzanines converted into studios and former dining rooms now host work meetings.
But physical adaptability is only half the equation for Bofill Taller’s recent (and historical) success. What also made Ricardo’s vision in the early days particularly radical was his insistence on building architectural teams with engineers, sociologists, writers, filmmakers and even philosophers. Dimitri Davoise, a partner at the practice, says that ethos has been doubled down on. “We are always trying to bring interesting people in to help us to be better,” explains Davoise. “Bofill Taller’s outlook today is coming from its early years. It’s about bringing people from different origins and disciplines together, to build a project. Influences are coming from philosophy, poetry, art.”
This isn’t just architectural romanticism – it’s smart business. When Pablo joined the firm following the 2008 financial crisis, the practice was down to two months of work – now its multidisciplinary teams are leading projects from West Africa to the Gulf, and creating work that is not about repetition (Bofill Taller doesn’t have a visual trademark) but distinct and rooted in place.
The lesson in all of this? First, that it pays to shake up layouts and hierarchies in an office, serving users and not an outdated commercial vision. Second, that outcomes can be particularly powerful when a team’s expertise spans different areas and disciplines. At La Fábrica, both qualities are being combined to great effect. Don’t believe me? Why not join us in Barcelona, when you can hear from the Bofill Taller team and see its headquarters for yourself.
