César Carlos College, Madrid, Spain

In the characteristic ceramic cladding of this hall of residence in Madrid’s university district, Alejandro de la Sota sought to use a combination of colors to blend the building into its setting. KALAM’s work combined a necessary upgrade with conservation of this representative building of our 20th-century heritage. We injected insulation into cavities, preserving the original structure, and replaced joinery with more efficient profiles while taking account of the original design. To restore the building’s characteristic look, we drew up a detailed study of ceramic tiles of more than 30 hues, from glossy to matt, made with craft techniques and ground individually (over 120,000 tiles). Advised by the Alejandro de la Sota Foundation, we recreated the building’s original sidings while improving its energy efficiency. According to the client’s needs, the work was phased over three years.