Barcelona Campus Expansion
The Countdown Begins

The expansion of the Barcelona campus is in its final phase. In just a few months, construction will be complete and IESE’s newest buildings will be inaugurated. Josep Ribas, who heads the team of three architects who developed the project, provides an overview of the new facilities and highlights of IESE’s new emblematic building.

At Avenida Pearson 54, the silhouette of IESE’s new building is already visible - two simple and full forms that reflect a new campus that is both aesthetically rigorous and functional. Those responsible for the project confirm that construction is advancing at a steady pace and the project will be completed in the academic year 2006-2007. Josep Ribas González, Josep Ribas Folguera and Berta Rovira i Mascort are the three architects heading the project and who, week after week, meticulously review developments at the site.

Josep Ribas González, chief architect, is an alumnus of IESE Business School. He was also the architect of the school’s “G Building,” which was inaugurated in 1992.

The history of the project began when IESE’s former dean Carlos Cavallé proposed a meeting with Josep Ribas González and Josep Ribas Arquitectos Asociados to discuss the possibility of enlarging IESE’s campus in Barcelona.

“Carlos Cavallé already had several clear ideas about the new campus,” said Ribas. “Together, we began working with the idea and the distribution of the buildings so that they would meet the needs of IESE. Once the bases of the project were defined, two other architects joined the project.”

The objective of the project was complex and ambitious: seven lecture halls with a capacity of 70 people each, 85 work rooms, 62 offices for professors, chapel, auditorium for 600 people, dining and cafeteria facilities, parking for 300 and a spacious garden area for outdoor events.

According to Ribas González, the plans maximized the use of available space, after the architects were able to overcome inconveniences such as the shape of the lot and working around the presence of a historical building that could not be touched. They also had to take into consideration existing facilities that house key departments such as Alumni, Operations and Administration.

“We sought to create a building that is functional yet dignified, taking advantage of space, adapted to the requirements of the school, and with substantial light,” he said.

Ribas González and his team recognize that the expansion of IESE’s campus represents an “important” project and they are convinced that the results will be optimal.

Images provided by the architectural firm present a realistic view of the four structures that make up the new facility and the attractive gardens, which will soon compete with those on the other side of the street, at Avenida Pearson 21. A spacious terrace will grace the main entrance at the new facilility, with gardens on either side. Moreover, the top floors will offer sweeping views of the city of Barcelona and the Mediterranean.