The old campus of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona rises above the stream bed of the Can Magrans stream. The unique topography of the valley is saved by means of hypostyle structures that support the Plaça Cívica, which, rising above the riverbed, rests on the colonnade.
On the west side, where the building we are describing stands, there is a retaining wall and a moat that resolve the passage between the Plaça Cívica and the pine forest, of great value. The above elements make it a unique setting among Catalan universities, since buildings and nature coexist in an exemplary way.
The ground floor of the building rises to the same level as the Plaça Cívica. This floor, dedicated to access, control, information and student service, also contains a multipurpose room. The first level is intended for Library Management services. The other three belong to the library and newspaper library.
The upper floor, at the level of the pine forest, is a construction open to the vegetation. This is the reason why the building inverts its façade according to the height. The wall opposite the openings is solid and houses the bookstore.
Quite the opposite, the lower floors up to Plaça Cívica orientate themselves on the square and take advantage of the wall's blindness to accommodate all the bookstores. In the layout of the spaces, it should be noted that this façade faces north, the most suitable orientation for a library.
The building, therefore, is completely turned upside down to give meaning to the different situation on the ground: the Plaça Cívica on one side, and the grove or garden square on the other.
