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La Fundación Foto Colectania

A new home in an old institution

By Brian Gallagher 02.05.17

The new headquarters of La Fundación Foto Colectania which has recently moved from its former address On C/ Julián Romea to the Paseo Picasso in the Borne neighbourhood, has been designed by architect Jaume Pons in collaboration with interior designer Pilar Líbano. The foundation is now located under the magnificent colonnade opposite the Domènech i Montaner Castillo de los Tres Dragones (Ciudadela) in a former premises belonging to the former La Comercial de Guarnicionería, a renowned company that specialised in the manufacture and sale of equestrian goods and equipment.

Organised around a central exhibition space at the centre of the building Foto Colectania also includes a permanent photographic archive and multi-media area. The offices and a coffee area are situated at the main entrance. The listed building has been sensitively restored to accommodate its new programme, the main space (the gallery) is a simple white box while the other areas are defined by the original joinery which has been cleaned and exudes the warm patina of age. Other features include the exposed Catalan vaults and the original wrought iron columns that lend the interior its ambience of contemporary industrial neutrality that does not distract from the pieces on display but yet has a marked character.

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The library of the Fundación Foto Colectania

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The main gallery area of Foto Colectania

     

    The Foundation is a non-profit organisation originally founded in Barcelona in 2002 with the objective of promoting photography within the social, artistic and educational sectors. The overall photographic archive brings together more than 3,000 works from 80 Spanish and Portuguese photographers in addition to the personal archive of Paco Gómez and other collections belonging to private collectors.

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The consultation area with the original timber screens that have been restored

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The inteiors are clean and simple yet have a define character

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The multimedia room

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The display cases belonging to the current exhibition

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    Detail

    The current exhibition on display is dedicated to the phenomenon of the Photographic Book which considers the importance of the genre within the realm of visual culture. It can be visited until June 25th 2017.

  • Foto Colectania Pilar Libano

    The foundation is now located under the magnificent colonnade opposite the Domènech i Montaner Castillo de los Tres Dragones (Ciudadela)