The Central Building of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) has received the highest distinction of the 17th Spanish Biennial of Architecture and Urbanism (BEAU), which has selected it as the winner in the “Architecture and Urbanism Works” category.

The Biennial highlighted its role as a key element in the transformation of the Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, as well as the building’s ability to combine scientific functionality, sustainability, urban integration and a spatial concept designed to foster cooperation between research teams. In this regard, the building represents an innovative model of scientific infrastructure capable of expressing a public vocation and a commitment to social progress through architecture.

A building designed to drive 21st-century research

Inaugurated in December 2024, the VHIR Central Building shapes a research node within the campus, with nearly 17,000 m² distributed across several levels housing laboratories, technical spaces, innovation areas, advanced therapy zones and a cyclotron facility that will enable the development of new diagnostic strategies and personalised medicine. Its interior, organised around wide corridors, light wells and informal meeting areas, encourages smooth interaction among multidisciplinary groups and promotes an open, collaborative scientific culture.

The architecture, designed by BAAS Arquitectura and Espinet/Ubach, pays careful attention to natural materials and the expressiveness of elements such as exposed concrete, wood and untreated steel. This approach reflects a Mediterranean sensitivity that values purity and constructive honesty, while enhancing energy efficiency and environmental comfort. Natural light plays a central role throughout the building, creating pleasant and healthy spaces that directly impact the well-being of research teams.

The building has been integrated into a challenging topography, becoming a new gateway to the campus and a point of connection between the hospital, green areas and the surrounding educational and scientific facilities. Its landscaped roof has been conceived as an extension of the park, intended to offer a natural refuge for professionals and visitors while acting as a thermal regulation mechanism for the building.

The project has also been warmly welcomed by the public, attracting hundreds of visitors during the 48h Open House Barcelona, and was previously awarded the 2025 FAD Architecture Prize for its elegance, precision and urban vocation.

An award celebrating the best architecture in the country

The 17th BEAU, considered one of the most prestigious and demanding platforms in Spanish architecture, gathered more than 570 submissions across its categories. This year’s edition was held under the theme “Architecture as a Policy for Change – Common Flows”, highlighting an architecture that is aware of the contemporary flows shaping society: materials, energy, data, people and environmental impacts. In this context, the VHIR project stood out among the 40 finalists for its combination of innovative construction solutions with a clear public-service orientation.

Since 1991, the BEAU has recognised the most significant works in Spanish architecture and urban planning, fostering collective reflection on the discipline’s challenges. The 2025 edition, curated by architects Ander Bados and Miguel Ramón, emphasised an architecture connected to its territory and sensitive to the effects of contemporary hyperconnectivity. With exhibitions, public activities and an internationally distributed catalogue, the Biennial has consolidated its role as a key platform showcasing the works that shape the country’s architectural landscape.

The construction of the building was made possible thanks to a €17.3 million loan granted by the Generalitat, together with €12 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) of Catalonia 2021-2027 Programme, contributions from the “la Caixa” Foundation (€3 million), Ferrer (€250,000), VHIR’s own funds and support from other private donors.