_Introducing Francesc Macià - Barcelona's modernist landmark turned luxury development

The definition of luxury varies hugely around the world. In some prime locations, it’s all about having the latest technology; in others it’s about being eco-friendly or having one’s own mooring.

In a vibrant, densely populated city such as Barcelona, where the lifestyle, location and investment potential are magnets for global wealth, there is little as prized as space – particularly when it is of the lateral variety and of dimensions never seen before in the city.

Above: The 300 m2 living room alone is the size of many city apartments; everything is bespoke

At Francesc Macià 10, a modernist landmark in the upmarket Sant Gervasi – Galvany neighbourhood, that doesn’t just mean the 600-square-metre footprint of each of its seven full-floor apartments – or, in the case of the duplex penthouse, 950-square-metres, plus a 300-square-metre private roof terrace.

The luxury of space extends to the communal areas too, including six secure, underground parking spaces for each apartment, complete with a visitors’ parking area, car wash and a designer waiting room for chauffeurs. The shared amenity spaces also include a 20-metre-long lap pool, gym, spa and two treatment rooms.

In a city where even the highest priced apartments rarely come with parking provision for multiple vehicles, much less around-the-clock security and concierge services, Francesc Macià 10 is setting a new bar for luxury living in Barcelona.

Further services for the exclusive use of residents include private wine cellars, a 30-square-metre storage facility for each apartment and valet service.

The additional menu of à la carte services includes housekeeping, catering, personal shopping and a chauffeur. Living here will offer the peace of mind and highly personalised service of an elite club shared with a handful of like-minded people.

The listed building – a former office block, considered by many a modernist masterpiece – has always caused a stir. The Swiss architect Marc J Saugey, a contemporary of Le Corbusier, designed its distinctly elliptical form in 1969 to resemble an eye from above, with canopies over its windows to represent eyelids.

Now under the ownership of the international investment and development company Squircle Capital, Francesc Macià 10 has undergone a dramatic reinvention to become Barcelona’s first super-prime residential building and the first fully-serviced apartments in Spain, combining the luxury experience and facilities of a leading five-star hotel with the comfort of home.

Above: A wine cellar at Francesc Macià

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom show flat, designed by the Brazilian architect Marcio Kogan of Studio MK27, shows what is possible when the space you have to play with includes a 55-square-metre kitchen, 90-square-metre master bedrooms and a living/dining area that at 300-square-metres is the size of a large house by most city standards, with a curving 55-metre-long run of floor-to-ceiling windows.

There is another spatial dimension at play here, too, and that’s what lies beyond. Prime living in cities such as Barcelona or Paris rarely affords the luxury of space surrounding the building, but with their position overlooking the manicured lawns of Turó Park, these residences take in big blue skies and views towards the rugged greenery of Tibidabo mountain.

Kogan’s interior design plays on the building’s mid-century heritage, with its subtle yellow and grey palette contrasted with rich American walnut on the walls and a melange of marbles, from white Carrara to dark Negro Marquina. Every detail is bespoke, including furniture and lighting from the Milanese designer Vincenzo de Cotiis, the American studio BassamFellows and London-based Michael Anastassiades.

The remaining residences are available for sale in shell and core form – a blank canvas that allows each buyer to interpret the space in their own way, adding or removing bedrooms and bathrooms, shifting the location of kitchens and choosing their own design style, whether it’s a nod to 1960s glamour or ultra-contemporary minimalism.

Such opportunities for entirely bespoke design are rare in new developments – and particularly in properties with these kinds of dimensions. The early buyers at Francesc Macià 10 have immediately seen the value in being able to design the property to their taste, rather than pay a premium for something ready finished, only to rip it out and start again in their desire to make it entirely their own.

They also appreciate the value of having a residence in an area of Barcelona that has long been a magnet for well-heeled Catalans, drawn to the sense of space in its large properties and wide boulevards, to its pocket parks and prestigious schools.

This is a city centre location, but one with a sense of a close-knit neighbourhood in its local shops and restaurants. It is also within easy reach of Barcelona’s equivalent of the Hollywood Hills, behind Pedralbes, where locals go jogging at weekends – those, that is, who don’t make a quick getaway on the nearby motorway to second homes further up the coast.

Above: Pool with views across the city 

Thanks to the recent transformation of Diagonal, the main artery that bisects the city, residents at Francesc Macià 10 have the added attraction of stepping out on to a newly revitalised high street. Diagonal’s traffic lanes have been reduced from four to two, making way for far wider pavements and vibrant street life, with new cafés and well-known retail brands bringing life to once empty units.

Barcelona as a whole is a city that never stops innovating – something that has be seen most dramatically in recent years along its waterfront. Wealthy homeowners may prefer to live away from the narrow, busy streets of the Ciutat Vella, including beachfront La Barceloneta, but nowhere in Barcelona is far from the sea.

The spotlight is particularly focused on Port Vell, the old harbour that has been transformed into Europe’s most sought after marina, with berths for superyachts of up to 180 metres and a new social magnet, the OneOcean Port Vell private members’ club.

There is a special synergy too between Barcelona’s superyacht scene and Francesc Macià 10. Boat owners appreciate the beauty of bespoke design, with FM10’s curves reminiscent of a yacht, and of having a residence in the Mediterranean’s most dynamic port city.

The beachfront district of El Poblenou is also enjoying a renaissance as Barcelona’s mini Silicon Valley. The high rises of the tech hub 22@ are home to hundreds of start-ups and tech giants including Microsoft, and the area’s old warehouses are fast becoming galleries, co-working spaces and architects’ studios.

Elsewhere in the city, Barcelona is embracing the luxury lifestyle with the likes of the new Soho House, the landmark W Barcelona and imminent EDITION hotel, next to the multi-coloured undulating roof of Santa Caterina market.

It’s a city that never stands still – and in a city like this, you need a sanctuary that offers relaxation, luxury and, crucially, space. That sanctuary is Francesc Macià 10.