August 23, 2019 | Updated: January 13, 2022

Projects

PORCELANOSA Group Projects: Foc Cisell, from a train station to a historical museum

The recently opened Foc Cisell train station in Barcelona, designed by the Pritzker 2013 winner, Toyoo Itō, covers floors and walls with a special ceramic production from the Metro series by Venis.

The covering, with customised screen printing, visually tells the story of Hospitalet de Llobregat where, the station itself turns into a historical museum.   

The Foc Cisell train station, on line 10 of the Barcelona station located in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, has recently been renovated by Toyoo Itō. The Pritzker Prize 2013 winner is considered as being one of the most innovative and influential architects in the world, and here, the Japanese architect recreates the history of the city through a decorative wall covering and ceramic floorings from the Metro series from Venis in the 40cm x40cm format, which were specifically produced for this project.

The Metro series from Venis in the 40cm x40cm format

Foc Cisell completes the train station with L9 Fira 2, located on the other side of the Fira venue in Barcelona, creating a historical museum through the screen printing of images on ceramics as a photographic historical archive. The photographs, cut out in an oval way, simulate being memories that go from 1890 to 2009, which combine with the holes in the organic wall in Hall 1 of the fair.

The forest green colour over white has been the colour chosen for the screen printing of the Foc Cisell station, honouring the mountain of Montjuïc, whereas blue colours the walls of the Fira 2 station which refers to the elevated corridor which connects with the pavilions of the exhibition area.

PORCELANOSA Group Projects: Foc Cisell

Visual experience in highly technical performing ceramic

The possibilities of customising the ceramic coverings with high-resolution screen printing allow for the creation of continuous wall images in an inalterable material which withstands wear with ease. Something which is typical of a sensitive space like a metro station.

The new visual experience for citizens portrays the historical memory in ceramics of high technical performance, specifically chosen by Toyoo Itō because of being a material which is ideal for a high-traffic space like a metro station.

Fire resistant and long lasting; it is impact-resistant and scratch-resistant as well, along with being waterproof. It requires no maintenance and has easy-to-clean properties. As well as that, it works as an electrical insulator, so it stops the build-up of electrically active environmental dust, which contributes to our health and wellbeing. As well as that, it comes with non-porous, anti-humidity and hygienic features which, also prevent dirt build-ups and bacterial growth, properties which are essential in poor permeation spaces like subsoil.

A train station which has now become a historical and cultural delight.

See it in Projects Porcelanosa.

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