Red Bulls Transformation in Madrid

he vibrant Malasaña neighborhood of Madrid blends cafes, restaurants, and nightlife. Its narrow streets and old-city architecture are a haven for students and young professionals. A globally recognized energy drink brand would fit right in.

But before they could do so, there was work to do: the complete renovation of an existing five-story building.

At street level, 13 Calle Hernan Cortes deceives passersby. The building is as narrow as its neighbors, but it stretches the depth of its block and contains 2,600 square meters (28,000 square feet) of occupied space.

Formerly housing the Madrid College of Industrial Engineers, the structure was vacant and essentially hollow when architecture firm yyplusplus got to work.

The firm's objective was to utilize the building's abundance of open spaces while also providing furnishings and partitions that would make the building suitable for the work of 150 employees.

But yyplusplus could not stop at a renovated floor plan and new furnishings. The space would look like an office, but it wouldn't feel or sound like one.

That's because the structure's prior use as an engineering college did not emphasize acoustic insulation. If that wasn't included in this renovation, the offices would be noisy. yyplusplus knew an insulative material was essential, and they insisted that it looked as good as it performed.