Provença Subway Station, Barcelona

Photo courtesy of Neolith

Sintered stone surfaces were applied to the walls in Barcelona's Provença Subway Station.

Recently inaugurated, Barcelona’s well-known Provença station is the second busiest station in the rail system with more than 4,500 users during rush hours. A platform extension was necessary to improve the quality of this public transportation.

The station had a platform access problem and congestion issues at certain times because of the high number of users. This work significantly enhanced the accessibility and safety since a new entrance was built over the expanded part of the platform with fixed stairs and an elevator in addition to new emergency exits.

From an architectural perspective, the main objective was to conserve the current image of the entire line. This image features engineering that matches dignified finishes which are long-lasting and functional. Therefore, easy-to-maintain, noncombustible materials were needed in addition to vandalism-resistant and detachable materials.

Sintered stone was used not only to match the desired aesthetics, but also to comply with the applicable fire prevention standards. Different styles and variations of sintered stone were chosen to cover the 50-meter gallery, both for the curvy and horizontal areas as well as for the vertical walls.

The initial project, however, suggested vitrified steel paneling. Upon switching materials and choosing sintered stone, the existing geometry was modified as the paneling was adapted to the polygonal shapes with large-format sintered stone slabs.

The facade system perfectly matched the requirement of having to position the slabs at different angles to adjust to the steel substructure and create an arch. Luckily, this system adapted to both vertical and horizontal walls. For the extension of the lobby, white sintered stone was chosen for the vertical walls of the expanded passageway for more spaciousness and light as well as an impeccable look. To contrast with the immaculate white, a satin finish was used for the platform pillars. This sleek, noble look is perfect for the busy and important Provença station, right in the heart of Barcelona.

California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Photo courtesy of PABCO Gypsum

California Pacific MedicalCenter (CPMC), a Sutter Health affiliate, constructed a 274-bed hospital located in the Cathedral Hill District of San Francisco. The CPMC Van Ness and Geary Campus was organized around comprehensive centers of care rather than traditional departments, enhancing the delivery of patient care while improving space efficiencies, workflow, and productivity. The hospital building was designed to meet LEED certification and the attached medical office to meet LEED Silver certification.

Hospitals in general are noisy. Research has proven that a quiet hospital environment improves patient healing and medical staff satisfaction. The noise from equipment, nurse’s stations, patient intake, and patient discharge areas, as well as regulatory requirements for patient privacy, make sound transmission mitigation a critical component in hospital design. The general contractor HerreroBoldt Partners, acoustical consultants Shen Milsom and Wilke (SM&W), subcontractor California Drywall, architect SmithGroup, and PABCO Gypsum worked together to design the most cost-effective medical facility that met the noise requirements designed for the projects.

In addition to designing for noise, the integrated team also needed to address mold concerns. Breathing mold-contaminated air can cause severe health effects in hospital patients, personnel, and visitors. The campus buildings are equipped with HVAC units and plumbing running through the ceilings, which may increase the risk for mold growth, so mold-resistant, sound-reducing gypsum panels were used to treat areas above ceiling height. In places where mold is not a major concern, standard sound-reducing gypsum panels were installed to reduce costs while maintaining sound transmission class (STC) performance.