It is located parallel to the previous building and likewise has five naves, in this case 45 m in length, developed on different levels. The two naves to the north have two storeys, the two to the south have four, and the central one has a single storey. This arrangement allows for good natural lighting, as each volume reaches a maximum depth of 20 m, with glazing on both sides, while the lower floor can be lit from above through the centre. With this configuration, it is possible to dispense with the roof system used in the earlier building, where all daylight had to enter through the roof.
The new building has been constructed using techniques similar to those of the previous one: a load-bearing reinforced concrete structure, a metal roof structure, exposed brick walls and concrete-framed windows. The same arrangement of end walls set at an angle of 120° allows tangential views to the exterior from the workspaces.
Vertical access is provided by a tower attached to the new building, at the western end of the central nave, within the space separating it from the earlier structure. This tower houses the staircase, the lift and, staggered in height according to the stair flights, the sanitary facilities. The tower constitutes a singular element within the complex, and it is precisely because of this singularity that the company management decided to locate their workspace at the highest level of the tower, in a dominant position. From there, it enjoys an atmosphere of silence, isolation and proximity at the same time, made possible by the company’s decentralised organisation.
Another distinct volumetric element appears in the form of the atomiser corresponding to the technical ceramics manufacturing process. This industrial installation has been given a protective fibrocement enclosure.
The extension of this building, originally designed for a single storey, required a solution involving perimeter staircases to provide access to the upper floors. The former roof, with its very slight slopes, has been enclosed within the interior of the new volume, as indicated by horizontal fissures in the façade walls. These walls continue to be treated, as in the original phase, with small openings distributed according to the functional requirements of the interior spaces. In this way, the necessary lighting and ventilation are achieved, while maintaining independence from the exterior areas, which serve as the general access routes to the PIHER industrial complex.
