Modern Monastery Remodels

Some styles simply do not mix, yet the Sant Francesc Convent demonstrates how two exceedingly different architectural languages can translate to an exceptionally interesting project. Here we have an ancient stone-built abbey in Santpedor, Spain, with hefty load-bearing walls and timid tiny windows that has been adapted with modern construction innovations into a fascinating contemporary edifice.

Probably the most gripping addition that David Closes made to this old nunnery involved the careful excision of a large portion of the fragile front masonry wall. It was replaced and upgraded with flashy extruded abstract fenestration that features a staircase right from street level. Warm yellow light escapes from the irreglarly shaped glass projection, in stark contrast to the thick and heavy presence of the minimally punctured facade of the Sant Francesc Convent.