An architect in Barcelona has spent almost half a century renovating an old cement factory into his home office—and managed to create a gorgeous statement of functionality and enchantment along the way. Known as "La Fábrica," the modern-day fortress that houses Ricardo Bofill's firm, Taller de Arquitectura, is a visual incongruence of exposed concrete and rich green flora. After purchasing the cement factory in 1973, Bofill transformed the eight spacious silos into a lofty interior for his workshop. The renovation draws its inspiration from the Catalan Gothic style, and also includes influences from other architectural languages. According to Bofill, while today the original cement factory has been successfully transfigured, La Fábrica will always remain an "unfinished work." La Fábrica stands as a testament to the fact that any space can be reborn, and proves that an imaginative architect can adapt their art to even the most unexpected surroundings. An abandoned company town and cement factory outside of Bogotá, now haunted by ghosts and scofflaws. Over a century old, this restored Victorian building is surrounded by a lush garden filled with rare palms. Once home to artillery, this garden offers more peace today than it did during its war-torn past. Standing for over 200 years, the abandoned home of a Revolutionary War hero and later a succession of prison superintendents. A place to see how French aristocrats lived in the early 1900s. This New York estate was designed to resemble a medieval Scottish castle. Hidden in plain sight, this lush garden sits atop one of the most iconic buildings in São Paulo. This botanical garden boasts sculptures, industrial ruins, and an endorsement from the Dalai Lama. The new Barça Studios project was inaugurated on Thursday in Sant Just Desvern on the outskirts of Barcelona, and was attended by several members of the Board of Directors. President Josep Maria Bartomeu was present, along with Head of Digital, Dídac Lee. Also at the inauguration was first team player Gerard Piqué. Barça Studios centralises the creation, production and commercialisation of FC Barcelona's audiovisual output, and includes the management of club television channel Barça TV. The channel has been broadcast in HD since this summer, expanded its availability in Spain thanks to its inclusion in a basic package with the main digital platforms, become available online through club media platforms, and revamped its graphic identity and content. Visits open all night long on Wednesday until Thursday 6pm in Sant Just Desvern, outside Barcelona Thousands of people are expected to pay tribute to the late Catalan architect Ricardo Bofill in his workshop The artist passed away on January 14 and his family and friends have decided to open to the public part of the iconic building where Bofill’s magic happened.  As of Wednesday at 10.30 am, some 5,000 people had registered for the event – registrations were still open in the early afternoon at https://homenaje-ricardo-bofill.eventbrite.es.  Visits will go on through the night until Thursday at 6pm local time dozens of people were queuing to access the venue.  A large saloon where meetings and events usually take place is one of the sites available Decorated with a number of personal photos of Bofill with his relatives the room also boasts models of some of his most famous works a building which is almost next door and that has become one of his masterpieces.  Some of his pictures feature Bofill in the Sahara desert and with Tuareg people where he used to find inspiration and happiness as he himself explains in some interviews being shown.  the homage includes concerts in the saloon such as one featuring Saharan music in remembrance of his links to this region.  I am still a nomad," is one of Bofill's most famous quotes and one that can be read on some postcards featuring pictures of the architect that visitors can take home and a video showing him speaking in several interviews welcomes those arriving to pay tribute who can also enjoy an interior garden where architecture combines with nature.  Bofill took part in a thousand projects in forty countries and his influence on Barcelona is clear throughout the city from projects such as the W Hotel on the Catalan capital’s seafront (also known as Hotel Vela) and even Terminals 1 and 2 of the city’s airport.  apart from the Walden 7 apartment building in Sant Just Desvern his designs include the Turia river gardens running through the city of Valencia and the neighborhood of Antigone in the French city of Montpellier.  his legacy includes the iconic architecture firm Ricardo Bofill Taller d'Arquitectura located in an old cement factory called La Fábrica Its multidisciplinary team brought together architects philosophers and more to create original and purposeful designs.  Get the day's biggest stories right to your phone In the Province of Barcelona there are two municipalities that stand out for being the richest: Matadepera and Sant Just Desvern with average incomes of 22,806 and 21,511 euros Barcelona is known for being one of the most expensive cities in Spain to live in but wealth is not limited to the Catalan capital According to recent data from the Statistical Institute of Catalonia (Idescat) the average income per person in Catalonia is 14,152 euros The study conducted by Idescat evaluated the socioeconomic index through several indicators The employed population in Catalonia represents 64% which explains why the figures vary significantly between municipalities only 37 have a high socioeconomic level and of these twelve are in the metropolitan area of Barcelona More and more people are opting to look for housing outside the city of Barcelona due to the rising cost of housing Barcelona holds the title of having the most expensive rent in all of Spain as well as topping the list of cities with the most expensive rooms in shared apartments in the country This increase in housing costs has led to an increase in the demand for housing in the municipalities near Barcelona have become popular destinations for those who wish to live close to the city without incurring the high costs According to the half-yearly index published by Idealista the periphery of Barcelona is the most sought-after area to live in Santa Coloma de Gramenet leads the list with an average rental price of 842 euros per month which offers a good connection to Barcelona and an average price of 965 euros per month Cornellà de Llobregat and Badalona are also in the top positions in the ranking with average rents of 933 and 1,147 euros per month the city of Barcelona itself ranks 15th in the ranking of the most sought-after areas to live in with a monthly rent of 1,087 euros a figure that exceeds the minimum professional wage It is closely followed by cities such as Terrassa While Barcelona remains one of the most expensive cities in Spain to live in municipalities such as Matadepera and Sant Just Desvern lead the province of Barcelona in terms of average income per person This economic disparity in the region has led to an increase in demand for housing in nearby municipalities where housing costs are more affordable compared to Barcelona Stock images by Depositphotos La venta de la nuda propiedad Copyright © 2022 Salirporbarcelona , All rights Reserved. Created by JEZZ Media You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed 03-28-2019DESIGN and transformed architectural ruins–a topic that has obsessed popular imagination for centuries [Photo: Ricardo Bofill Taller De Arquitectura/courtesy Phaidon] BY Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan [Photo: courtesy Phaidon]Half of the book is devoted to lost works of architecture showing demolition photos alongside archival photos of the original buildings from Penn Station to Prentice Women’s Hospital many of which have found a second life thanks to the internet’s love of “ruin porn,” like Pyongyang’s Ryugyong Hotel and Soviet-era monuments in Eastern Europe The other half of the book is devoted to ruins that have been redeveloped into high-value real estate These adaptive reuse projects are their own form of lost architecture “Once adaptive reuse projects are completed the irony–and this is something that really strikes me everywhere–is that part of the excitement and the magic of the abandoned space itself is then lost once you turn it into something else,” Barasch says you lost what was there before and you really can’t recreate it.” Yet there are dozens of examples of adaptive reuse as a tool for developing resilient public spaces or advancing social missions One powerful example comes from Theaster Gates’s Stony Island Arts Bank a 1920s-era bank on Chicago’s South Side that Gates purchased and renovated into a cultural center including an archive for black publications “In reclaiming the former financial center as a new cultural center Gates infused this transformation with a sense of social and racial justice,” Barasch writes like Ricardo Bofill’s 1970s transformation of a 1921 cement factory outside of Barcelona illustrate how adaptive reuse projects can age gracefully–now almost 100 years old abandoned and ruined spaces are animated by what people want from them They can be massive economic boons or cynical attempts to cloak a neighborhood’s rapid socioeconomic transformation They can also be powerful symbols and drivers of community engagement The final deadline for Fast Company’s Brands That Matter Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan is Co.Design's deputy editor. More Fast Company & Inc © 2025 Mansueto Ventures Fastcompany.com adheres to NewsGuard’s nine standards of credibility and transparency. Learn More There are houses, and then there’s Ricardo Bofill’s house: a brutalist former cement factory of epic proportions on the outskirts of Barcelona A grandiose monument to industrial architecture in the Catalonian town of Sant Just Desvern La Fabrica is a poetic and personal space that redefines the notion of the conventional home “Nowadays we want everyone who comes through our door to feel comfortable but that's not Bofill’s idea here,” says filmmaker Albert Moya who directed latest instalment of In Residence you connect with the space in a more spiritual way.” Rising above lush gardens that mask the grounds’ unglamorous roots the eight remaining silos that once hosted an endless stream of workmen and heavy machinery now house both Bofill’s private life and his award-winning architecture and urban design practice.  Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura (RBTA) is one of Spain’s most prolific firms with a long list of work that spans the globe: from Les Halles and the Christian Dior headquarters in Paris to the JP Morgan’s skyscraper in Chicago and the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing But it is Bofill’s monolithic conversion showcased here that is undoubtedly his most personal work: a successful and beautiful experiment in repurposing space which has become a landmark of alternative living “My entire crew was under the age of 30 and we all listened to Bofill wide-eyed,” says Moya “To see someone who is approaching 80 with such a modern and young mentality gave hope to all of us.” Next up, In Residence: Alexandre de Betak To see more episodes from the series In Residence, click here For more details, visit Nowness A global video channel screening the best in culture NOWNESS is a movement for creative excellence in storytelling celebrating the extraordinary of every day NOWNESS’ unique programming strategy has established it as the go-to source of inspiration and influence across art From vernacular knowledge to modern sustainability Middle Eastern pavilions serve as living archives of architectural thought offering fresh frameworks for global adoption STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by NOWNESS | Published on : Jan 16, 2020 AxonometryLocated in the central part of the complex, its belonging to the building is practically inescapable, even in its interior. Every one of the apartment's windows frames fragments of Walden-7. Light comes in shaded in turquoise in the northern rooms, more reddish in the south. it was essential that our intervention established a connection with the rich fabric of Bofill's architecture The project introduces flashes of colors from the outside in brick red The topographies that Bofill envisioned for the interior of the apartments are re-thought and adapted to the needs of the new owners and future users that end up connecting with the existing staircase The stepped geometry appears in the laying of the two-toned tiles in the bathrooms so ubiquitous in the configuration of the building and its morphology materializes in various ways: the red step You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email Architecture studio H3o Architects transformed an old barn of a traditional Catalan farmhouse in Sant Just Desvern into a home for a historian passionate about creativity and art.To approach the project the legend of a lightning bolt that crossed this house It is said that the lightning came through the chimney and circled the room for a few seconds As a result of this story, the architects of H3o Architects have designed a space with great dynamism and a radiant color that appropriates it using the idea of lightning that is formalized in light and becomes the element that divides the rooms and ends up becoming walls.The proposal integrates lines and colors that generate an attractive visual effect far from conventional visions and spaces under a gabled roof A proposal that responds and blends with the user's tastes in art and creativity.Relámpago House by H3o Architects Description of project by H3o Architects a young architecture studio based in Barcelona one of its most special and unusual residential projects The renovation of a modest 55m2 old barn within a traditional Catalan farmhouse on the outskirts of Barcelona has given rise to a distinctive space full of color which tells its own memorable story to those who visit it.Driven by the desires of its owner a historian with a passion for creativity and art the legend of the lightning that crossed Can Cardona many years ago The architects wanted to depict this inspiration in a functional yet bold design that would stimulate the client's artistic interest.Relámpago House by H3o Architects alluding to the story about the natural phenomenon that holds historical significance for the property The gable-roofed house features lightning as a central element playing a key role in defining and delineating distinct areas within the house When lightning is transformed into both a wall and a lamp it promptly shapes and configures the functionality of the interior spaces “Relampago House is a project that speaks of one of our great concerns in spatial exploration: morphology and colour approached through fantasy We used the incredible story of a lightning that struck the house years ago as a starting point for the design" Joan Gener and Miquel Ruiz of h3o Architects the studio's main intention is to generate a unique architectural experience that departs from conventional bland interiors By combining an outbreaking architecture with a highly distinctive concept it results in a proposal that merges geometries giving life and shape to a stimulating interior where fluidity between spaces stand as protagonist.Relámpago House by H3o Architects.A zigzagging distribution shapes the different areas of the house With a distinctive morphology composed of lines and angular geometries that flow and blend with each other the project creates a visual and spatial effect that amazes the user the wide range of strategically applied vibrant colors on the different surfaces of the house allows both to highlight shapes and volumes This chromatic choice creates an atmosphere that challenges the usual spatial perception of the user and opens the way to sensations and memories that transform the space.Relámpago House transcends the conventional notion of home By celebrating a passion for the arts through an authentic narrative it aims to introduce a different vision of everyday life where creativity and originality are the essence of each day H3o Architects. Doors.- Eclisse.Tiles.- Fabresa.Bathroom devices.- Roca.Lights.- Monsó i Benet.Floor.- Ralpe.Equipment and furniture.- Casa Protea H3o Architects is a Barcelona-based architecture firm formed by Adrià Orriols Their practice promotes innovative and speculative designs in the fields of architecture and urbanism facing the challenges of contemporary society social responsibility and the hybridization of human and non-human realities are at the core of each project the studio investigates the membrane as the epidermis of architecture and its social Among its projects are the conversion of the Convent of the Poor Clares into the new library in Arenys de Mar the 155-unit housing block at Kop-Dakpark (Rotterdam) the winner of the Europan 15 Rotterdam Award the renaturalization of the square in Castell d'Aro and the new residence for the elderly in Es Migjorn Gran One of their latest projects was the ephemeral installation “Nomad Assembly" in the Mercat dels Encants Master in Architecture at the School of Architecture of Barcelona with an excellent qualification in his Final Thesis where he followed project courses in Lausanne and Basel with Harry Gugger from Herzog & de Meuron He collaborates with a two-year scholarship in the Urban Planning Department of the ETSAB He has worked in Geneva and also in Barcelona with Enric Ruiz-Geli on the project for the NOU BULLI  in Roses From 2014 to 2017 he worked with the prestigious chef Albert Adrià on developing new projects in all stages: conceptualization the Bodega 1900  and the Creative Workshop of el Barri Being his main work the coordination of the restaurant ENIGMA by RCR Architects Master with Honours in Architecture at the School of Architecture of Barcelona Since 2012 he has worked at José Antonio Martínez Lapeña and Elias Torres studio Since 2014 he has been responsible for the projects of the studio – CASA VICENS Restoration and rehabilitation into the museum World Heritage – 2014/2017– MURALLAS DE PALMA Prince’s Bastion Restoration– TORRES DEL TEMPLE Restoration Palma de Mallorca– Coverage project for the Ronda de Dalt– Design of Lluis Clotet exhibition National Architecture Award– Plaça de les Glòries Competition 1st prize– Palma Mallorca Seafront Promenade Competition He has collaborated in several ETSAB publications: Bases for the Project I -II and Landscape Architecture 1977-1995 He won the 1st prize for Pasatjes Metropolitans he participates in Archiprix and the UNESCO-UIA & MIDO student design prize for responsible architecture He studied the 5th course of architecture at TUB Technische Universität Berlin and also has Postgraduate studies in Business and Administration he has collaborated with “Jordi Garcés-de Seta-Bonet” on the competition of “el Salón de Reinos” for el Museo del Prado He also has assisted the Department of Urban Planning His interest in the theoretical aspects of architecture made him get a scholarship to collaborate at the Theory Department in ETSAB with professor Toni Ramon he later worked on the “Observatory of Theatres at Risk” He was also invited to Bauhaus Dessau by Roger Bundschuch to talk about Clubbing Architecture Within the framework of the Master in Theory and History of Architecture at ETSAB "Entre dos Mundos: fuentes e imaginarios del espacio como Membrana" received a Cum Laude and delves into the concerns of H3O’s practice Archive REMODELING-RENOVATION Cristina Tomàs White | Barcelona unique spaces… all of this and more can be used to describe the works of the late Catalan and yet markedly cosmopolitan architect Ricardo Bofill.  Bofill was forward-thinking not only in terms of his architecture and his workshop’s multidisciplinary philosophy but also in terms of his politics which got him in trouble with Spain’s Francoist regime "He was first kicked out of Spain and Barcelona and Catalonia when he was 18 because he was a ‘Republicano’ and anti-Francoist," his youngest son the CEO of the architecture workshop his father founded he was able to come back to the country but ran into issues once again a few years later "After a project called ‘The City in Space’ in Madrid he had to leave again for more than 20 years," Pablo Bofill explained.  Bofill was eventually able to return and continue to leave his mark on Barcelona a nod to the American philosopher and psychologist B Skinner which drew inspiration from the unbuilt ‘The City in Space’ is probably one of his most famous buildings near Barcelona and not far from his workshop it has seven interior gardens and 18 towers Today it is an apartment complex that houses some 3,000 people in touch with the American developer called Hines." Bofill was also the mastermind behind Barcelona’s emblematic W Hotel and Catalonia’s National Theater He is also known for the surreal Red Wall Apartment Complex in Calp the Antigone neighborhood of Montpellier.  “His origin was Catalunya and Barcelona and that's very important for him,” his son said “But when you come from a city that is not in the center you need to live with being open to the world.” News of his death on January 14 at age 82 was met with sorrow in the world of architecture and beyond and thousands of people paid tribute to him at his workshop in Sant Just Desvern Mourners and admirers were able to see models of some of his works and pictures of him and his family will undoubtedly be remembered for his unmatched talent v1.1.0. Copyright © 2025. Powered by EBANTIC. All rights reserved.    Guifré Jordan visits Bofill's workshop in Sant Just Desvern one of thousands paying tribute to the late architect Stefanie Herr and Lorenzo Kárász from Guiding Architects Barcelona take us on a tour of 22@ the former industrial zone in Barcelona that's been transformed into a design and innovation hub The team look at the legacy of Barcelona '92 and discuss the mark made in Barcelona and beyond by a host of architects Benedetta Tagliabue and Enric Miralles.  This week's Catalan phrase is 'enlloc com a casa' You can now get in touch with the podcast team via email, drop us a line on fillingthesink@acn.cat.  Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink below or find out more here.  Officers seeking younger brother of man arrested on suspicion of hiring van that was used to kill 13 people on Las Ramblas Spanish police investigating the Barcelona terrorist attack are hunting an 18-year-old man who is suspected of driving the van that ploughed through Las Ramblas on Thursday killing at least 13 people and injuring more than 100 Police sources told Spanish media they were looking for Moussa Oukabir, the younger brother of Driss Oukabir who was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of hiring the van used in the attack Driss Oukabir has denied involvement and is reported to have told police that his identity documents were stolen before they were used to obtain the vehicle Four suspects – three Moroccans and one Spaniard – have been arrested in connection with the Barcelona attack local police chief Josep Lluís Trapero said on Friday Catalan police reportedly believe Moussa Oukabir fled the scene of the attack in Las Ramblas and is still on the run. A spokeswoman for the force, the Mossos d’Esquadra, said officers were not officially naming any suspects as they continued their inquiries. She said official updates would continue to appear on the force’s Twitter account Little is known about Moussa Oukabir, who is thought to have turned 18 very recently. However, attention has already focused on comments he made on the social media site Kiwi. Asked what he would do on his first day if he became absolute ruler of the world, he replied: “Kill the unbelievers and leave only Muslims who follow their religion.” Asked in which country he would never contemplate living, he answered: “The Vatican.” Hours after the Barcelona attack, five suspected terrorists were shot dead by Spanish police in the coastal town of Cambrils after they drove into pedestrians early on Friday morning, as part of the country’s second terror attack in 24 hours. One person was killed in the attack, which left five other bystanders and a police officer injured. Some of the suspects wore what appeared to be explosive belts, which were later found to be fake. Jordi Munell, the mayor of Ripoll, where both brothers lived, said the town was in a state of shock following the events of Thursday and Friday. “We know the police are looking for [Moussa Oukabir] but we don’t know if he’s among the people who’ve been arrested,” he said. “The police have been checking all the homes connected with the family today. People here are just really surprised. Ripoll is the kind of place where everybody knows everybody else. We don’t understand how people we’ve been living side-by-side with could be involved in terrorism and nor do their families. These are people that people have been to school with and played football with.” Police believe the attacks in Las Ramblas and Cambrils are linked to an explosion earlier this week at a house in the small town of Alcanar, 120 miles south of Barcelona, that left one person dead and 16 injured. Read morePolice and firefighters who came to the scene were wounded by a second blast The Alcanar explosions were initially reported to have been caused by gas cylinders but Trapero later said those in the house were attempting to “prepare an explosive device” Speaking at a press conference on Friday afternoon Trapero said the driver of the Las Ramblas van was yet to be identified but could be among the five terrorists shot dead in Cambrils He also revealed that the terror cell had planned at least two attacks in a house in Alacanar “We’re working on the hypothesis that the authors [of the attacks] had been planning them both for a while in the building in Alcanar but we can’t join up all the scenarios,” he said “It was a group – we don’t have a concrete number – but we’re not discounting the idea that they were planning other attacks.” The attack in Cambrils concluded a day of violence along the Catalan coast which the police said was the work of a terrorist cell determined to “kill as many people as possible” Video footage from Cambrils showed three bodies on the ground in the town’s port The police urged residents to stay indoors and later carried out controlled blasts on suspected explosive devices 0:32Moment Spanish police shoot suspected terrorist in Cambrils - videoFitzroy Davies was caught up in the second attack in Cambrils and saw one of the attackers being shot by police He told the BBC that he had seen people running into the bar where he was as the assault unfolded “This guy came running up the road and was shouting something “Within 30 seconds the police were already there started shouting at the guy; the guy was then saying something else again pop’ – did a couple of shots and he fell down “He stood back up and then he stepped over the fence and he started smiling and he carried on walking to the police a couple more shots and then he fell to the ground.” Trapero said one officer had managed to kill all but one of the attackers He said that it was not easy for the officer involved Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Las Ramblas attack, saying on a website: “Terror is filling the crusaders’ hearts in the land of Andalusia.” The Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, said the whole country stood in solidarity with Barcelona the chief prosecutor of the Audiencia Nacional said the attackers did not appear to have previous links to jihadism there was no previous investigation that might have identified them,” he told the Cadena Ser radio station “Zero risk doesn’t exist when it comes to these things The anti-terror police services have done really good work for years and various attacks have been prevented.” At midday local time, thousands of people gathered in Barcelona’s main square for a minute’s silence to remember the dead. Among those in attendance were King Felipe of Spain, Rajoy, Carles Puigdemont, the Catalan regional president, and Ada Colau, the mayor of Barcelona. At the end of the minute’s silence, the crowd broke into applause and chanted “No tinc por” (“I am not afraid”). 0:59Barcelona crowd breaks into applause and chants after minute's silence - video Meanwhile the mayor of the French city of Nice, where dozens were mown down a year ago by an attacker driving a truck, has said he will meet his European counterparts next month to see how they can improve security in the aftermath of the Barcelona attack. Eighty-six people were killed in the jihadist attack in the French Riviera city, the first of several similar incidents in Europe. “I am convinced that life will prevail over death and that we will triumph over barbarism and terror,” Christian Estrosi told reporters after honouring Barcelona’s victims on the Promenade des Anglais where dozens died on Bastille Day last year. Barcelona will have 350 climate shelters this summer, 120 more than last year, the city council announced on Monday.   All the shelters will have at least shaded areas, drinking fountains and seating.  For the first time, the shelters will include public swimming pools. But even though the shelters are free, there will be a fee for the pools.  "There will be a public fee, but there will be discounts for the most vulnerable. As we have said and reiterated, there will be no citizen who will not have access to it for economic reasons," explained deputy mayor Laia Bonet.  The measures are part of the city council's plan to cope with the high temperatures this summer, which began on Saturday and will last until mid-September.  The shelters will operate during the normal opening hours of each facility, which may vary depending on the location.   Bonet emphasized that the city's goal is to ensure that by 2025, the entire population has a climate shelter within ten minutes of their homes.   Currently, according to Bonet, 98% of Barcelona residents have a shelter within ten minutes, and 68% within five minutes.   On Sundays in August, when most shelters are closed, 89% of citizens have a shelter within ten minutes of their home.   To locate shelters and their opening hours, the city council has created an online map available in the 'Barcelona a la Butxaca' app.   Sant Just Desvern, Sant Cugat del Vallès and Alella home to next highest Catalan earners ACN | Barcelona The town of Matadepera has jumped to the top of the list of the richest places in Spain with an average annual income of €218,788 in 2018 According to the latest data published on Tuesday by the Tax Agency is followed in Catalonia by Sant Just Desvern (Baix Llobregat) and Sant Cugat del Vallès (Vallès Occidental) where residents have an average annual income of €58,875 and €57,565 respectively putting it way out ahead of any other municipality in Spain The second and third richest towns in Spain are in Madrid: Pozuelo de Alarcón is second with €79,506 and Boadilla del Monte third with €61,910 As was the case with Avinyonet de Penedès previously, it may well be the income of one extremely wealthy resident that has caused Matadepera, population 9,326, to leap to the top of the rankings. The rest of the top ten positions in the Catalan ranking are occupied by Alella (Maresme), with an average income of €54,412 per year; Sant Vicenç de Montalt (Maresme), with €52,058; Cabrils (Maresme), with €48,765; Sitges (Garraf), with €48,042; Peralada (Alt Empordà), with €46,576; Teià (Maresme), with €46,128; Castelldefels (Baix Llobregat), with €45,279; and Cabrera de Mar (Maresme), with €44,843. ABC News News HomeCatalan referendum: Communities nervous how independence stand-off with Spain will endShare analysis Forming human towers is a Catalonian tradition that requires trust and cooperation Link copiedShareShare articleA small festival is taking place in the town of Sant Just Desvern on the outskirts of Barcelona Several teams have gathered to build and dismantle spectacular human towers eight levels tall — the activity is a Catalan tradition Building the towers requires trust and close cooperation attributes some believe are in short supply in this region at the moment "We are seeing a complete breakdown in the way people are living together," claims local resident Charles Ablett Local resident Charles says he is worried things are going to get worse "We have a real problem now with families being split "I'm worried this is going to get much worse" He's talking, of course, about the push by Catalonia's regional leaders for independence from Spain Everyone has a view and opinions in this tight-knit community differ vastly Some have spent much of their lives dreaming of secession Spain's governing Popular Party has kicked one of the most spectacular own goals you could ever see helping turn a fringe political issue into a full-blown constitutional crisis "[Spain] doesn't see Catalonia as its own nation," Consol Amoros Valls said Many others here though are shocked at how far the current stand-off between leaders in Madrid and Catalonia has escalated. "Right now I'm horrified and I feel very sorry about everything that is happening," Teresa Comas said. "We should admit that the referendum proposed by [Catalan President Carles] Puigdemont was not a legal referendum but at the same time the voice of the Catalan people has to be taken into account." The independence movement is generally stronger in regional or inland Catalonia than in the centre of the capital, Barcelona. In Sant Just Desvern groups of Catalans gather to form human towers. (ABC News: Tim Stevens) Several supporters of secession we meet are disappointed the European Union has ignored their pleas for help. "It fears this would be a precedent," Carme Colomina from the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs said. Carme Colomina wants the EU to support Catalonia's independence push. (ABC News: James Glenday) In Sant Just Desvern there is a sense of nervousness about how long this crisis could drag on for and how far it might escalate. As things currently stand, no-one really knows what will happen next and few are confident enough to predict how this is all going to end. Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy says no government can accept ignoring the law. (Reuters: Juan Carlos Hidalgo) CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) A step towards sustainable packaging solutions The packaging machine group Ima Dairy & Food has signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Intecma based in Sant Just Desvern Intecma was previously owned by the managing partner The company is mainly well established in southern Europe and the Maghreb countries As the Ima Dairy & Food group companies the company is very active in the dairy industry – the top five dairy companies are among its customers fill and seal machines for cups in the lower capacity performance range Intecma stands for sustainability with its unique ZERO Technology which can be used for all tools in an FFS system and the tools’ performance and service life are increased many times over compared to existing tools in the market place The integration of Intecma into the Ima Dairy & Food Group expands the know-how…