17/07/2025

Lecturer David Martín, awarded a Bronze Laus Award for his contribution to the Aribau 195 building

The lecturer in Advertising and Public Relations at the Faculty of Communication Sciences, has been awarded a Bronze Laus Award for the graphic design applied to the environment and signage of the Aribau 195 building, an architecturally renovated office complex.

"I wanted to integrate graphic design into the architecture, create luminosity, and reinforce the spatial and conceptual coherence of the project," explains David Martín. He highlights the colour palette of greens and blues that establishes a link with the building and its interior garden, as well as the choice of materials such as wood, which have a reduced environmental impact, as all key elements behind his award.

The branding and signage award is presented by the Association of Graphic Design and Visual Communication (ADG), part of the Federation of Associations for the Promotion of Arts and Design. The project authors, SCOB Arquitectura y Paisaje, sought to integrate architecture and landscape through the refurbishment of the façade and the creation of an interior garden. The 19,000 m² building, originally constructed in 1989, is located in the heart of Barcelona’s Eixample district.

The garden, featuring more than 5,000 plants and 16 deciduous trees, contributes to energy efficiency, reduces the urban heat island effect, and improves environmental quality, restoring the original values of the Cerdà Plan. "The interior signage was designed to complement the building’s architecture. The combination of typography and natural materials generates a welcoming yet efficient atmosphere. The gradient from deep blue to rich green in the parking area signage evokes the passage from sky to depth, maintaining the colour green as a connecting element across the different areas of the project," Martín explains.

Curiously, the typeface "Aribau Grotesk" was selected to signpost the building’s various zones, located on Aribau Street in Barcelona. "This was pure coincidence. The font combines low contrast and generous width typical of 1950s Swiss design, with a geometric style. It is a pity it was only by chance," states the UIC Barcelona lecturer.

Owned by the Zurich insurance company, the building will serve as office space. "It would be very positive if these architectural approaches could be applied to housing, particularly given the housing crisis currently facing Barcelona," adds the designer.

The ADG Laus Awards for Graphic Design and Audiovisual Communication have been presented since 1964, based on criteria of excellence, with a panel comprising 40 members from various countries, all committed to the continuity of the awards.