Vocational training students win the first prize of the Talent Creatiu i Empresa program with their project for the TNC
The six students from the Higher Vocational Training in Projects and Direction of Decoration Works have been awarded for "Sala Tranquil·la," their inclusive design proposal for the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya.
Tania Albiol, David Bibian, Ainara Bonilla, Sara Buendia, Alexandra Droboshevska, and Pablo Espés, second-year students of the Higher Vocational Training in Projects and Direction of Decoration Works, have won the first prize of the Talent Creatiu i Empresa program by the Departament d'Educació de la Generalitat de Catalunya with their project Sala Tranquil·la, an inclusive design proposal for the lobby of the Sala Tallers at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya.
The challenge set by the TNC was to transform this transitional space into a place where people who need to leave the auditorium during a performance (whether due to anxiety, ASD, reduced mobility, breastfeeding needs, or any other special need) can find a welcoming environment to recover and return when they are ready. The team's guiding principle sums it up precisely: the space must adapt to the person, not the other way around.
Our students' proposal organizes the lobby into several zones through a system of mobile curtains installed on the ceiling, which can be configured or opened up depending on the moment: a calm space with ergonomic furniture and soft materials, a breastfeeding area with acoustic and lighting privacy, and the existing bar counter renovated with a two-height terracotta finish to provide access for wheelchair users. The design also incorporates tactile flooring for people with reduced vision, a calm cabinet with sensory elements, and a screen broadcasting the ongoing performance live.
The materials palette (natural wood, Kvadrat textiles, acoustic panels, and earth tones) conveys the five sensations that guided the project: intimacy, warmth, wellbeing, tranquility, and shelter.
The prize jury particularly valued the level of detail in the proposal and the research work carried out to understand the real needs of the space's users. It also highlighted the aesthetic coherence, the well-chosen selection of materials and colors, and the fact that the team addressed a comprehensive redesign of the entire lobby with the aim of improving the experience of all audience members.
Congratulations to the whole team and their tutor, María Flaqué! This recognition shows once again that good design is not only aesthetic, it can also help improve people's lives.