What does principal mean in Barcelona?
The principal is the floor above the entresuelo, the first truly habitable floor, built for owners and the wealthiest tenants. The order in old Barcelona buildings is planta baja, entresuelo, principal, primero and up. In the Eixample it is usually the best floor: the highest ceilings, the biggest balconies and the richest finishes.
The name survives in listings, but it has no legal meaning. It is a pointer for the buyer: here the ceiling height is often 4 m or more, the street windows are large and the floor area frequently generous. The flip side is clear too: the floor is not far above the ground and sits close to street traffic.
Why was the principal considered the best floor, and what makes it hard today?
People once did not climb higher: there were no lifts, and the main floor was the easiest to reach. The reception rooms and the richest decoration went here. Today the same advantages come with drawbacks: street noise, dust and exhaust, relatively little light because of the narrow street and the trees, and glances from passers-by and neighbours opposite.
For a luxury renovation that is three tasks. Noise and air are solved with windows and ventilation. Light is solved with finishes and layout. Privacy is solved with curtains, shutters and the placing of rooms. Done well, the principal remains one of the most expressive flats in the city, with ceilings that new buildings do not have.
How do you protect a principal from street noise?
The main route for noise is the windows. So the glazing is changed: a double-glazed unit with acoustic laminated glass of different thicknesses, for example 6+6 mm with an acoustic interlayer, and an airtight frame with triple seals. A second window on the inside often does more than one new window. Restoring old windows and inner shutters is covered in a separate article.
The second route is ventilation. An open window cancels all the insulation, so acoustic trickle vents or mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and a filter are fitted: it supplies air without opening windows and traps dust. The third route is walls, ceilings and doors: additional layers, solid doors to bedrooms, resilient hangers in the ceiling. The placing of rooms also helps: bedrooms to the courtyard, reception rooms to the street.
Isn't this floor dark?
Sometimes. The principal sits lower than the upper floors, Eixample streets are narrow, and trees and the buildings opposite block the sky. But the windows are tall and wide, and that compensates. The less light there is, the more it matters how you work with it.
Reflective finishes, light ceilings, gloss and satin surfaces, mirrors and glass in partitions that pass light deep into the flat all help. Heavy curtains are replaced with double layers: a light voile by day and a dense curtain at night. The lower part of the window is covered and the upper left open: light comes in from above and the glance from the street does not reach. Inner shutters work well: folded by day and closed at night. Warm evening light and lighting scenes complete the picture.
How do you get privacy from the street?
The main problem of the principal: windows and balconies at the eye level of passers-by and traffic. Solutions: light voile curtains, inner shutters, frosted or fluted film on the lower part of the window, tilting slats, plants on the balcony in boxes at railing height.
The balcony also works as a filter: it takes a bench, flowers, a light screen. With a protected facade the outside appearance cannot change, so the solutions work from the outside in: curtains, shutters, film on the glass. To avoid losing light, privacy is solved with translucency, not dark fabric. And a security reminder: a low floor needs anti-burglary glass and locks on the balcony doors.
What can you do with a principal's courtyard terrace?
Some principals have an exit to a terrace in the courtyard, normally the roof of the premises below (an annexe or a shop on the ground floor). It can be used as an extension of the living room or kitchen: dining area, flowers, a place to relax. But such a terrace has its own features.
It is the roof of someone else's premises, so the waterproofing must be flawless and any loads agreed. The paving is laid on supports above the waterproofing, not instead of it. The rights of use and repair are set by the building statutes and the property documents. Furniture, plants and a barbecue need agreements and a load calculation. Neighbours' windows face the same terrace, and privacy will need thought too. We have a separate article on terraces and balconies.
How do you make the most of a principal's high ceilings?
High ceilings allow big doors, tall shelving, pictures and light fittings that would not fit in an ordinary flat. They are emphasised with verticals: full-height doors up to the ceiling, long curtains from a ceiling track, tall skirtings and cornices.
There are difficulties too: lighting and heating. A large volume of air takes longer to warm, and underfloor heating helps more than radiators. Light at height must be aimed down at the working planes, or the room stays dark below. Mezzanines and tiers are only admissible with calculation and approval, and you should not divide the height without a project. BCN YARD works with these flats with noise, light and privacy in mind. We run the project in Russian and Spanish, with one person responsible. Send the plan and we answer within an hour.
Frequently asked questions
What does principal mean in Barcelona?
It is the floor above the entresuelo: in old buildings the order is planta baja, entresuelo, principal, primero and up. In the Eixample the principal is usually the best floor: ceilings of 4 m or more, big balconies, rich finishes. The name is not legal but a pointer for the buyer.
How do you protect a principal from street noise?
Change the glazing: acoustic double glazing with laminated glass of different thicknesses and an airtight frame, better still adding a second window inside. Provide air with acoustic vents or heat recovery. Bedrooms move to the courtyard and reception rooms stay on the street.
What can you do with a principal's courtyard terrace?
It is usually the roof of the premises below. Use it as an extension of the living room: paving on supports over flawless waterproofing, furniture and plants with a load calculation. The statutes set rights of use and repair, so agreements are needed, and neighbours' windows call for privacy planning.
Isn't this floor dark?
Sometimes: streets are narrow and trees and buildings opposite block the sky. Light reflective finishes, mirrors, glass in partitions, double curtains instead of heavy ones and leaving the upper part of the window open all help. The tall, wide windows make up for the lack of light.