BUILDING FOR THE UNDERGROUND LABORATORY. CANFRANC. HUESCA

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The building is crossed by a transverse axis with two main entrances: one from the west at the level of Ayerbe’s walkway (through the second floor) and the other from the east (through the ground floor). From this axis, including the staircase and the lift, start, in the three upper floors, corridors parallel to the façade. The two lower floors fit partially into the ground while the three upper floors are embraced inside a compact rectangular encircling plan. Two outside staircases keeping the slope of the ground, connect the Ayerbe’s walkway with the level of the outside platform increasing the permeability of these area. Laboratories and workshop are located on the ground floor. On the first floor there is a workshop’s mezzanine, technician’s offices and a multipurpose area used as a seminar and exhibition hall. The second floor is used for administration and management area with the main meeting room opening out towards the terrace. On the third and fourth floors are the user’s area and residential areas. These last, located on the third floor have an independent access by means of a staircase which connects with the Ayerbe’s walkway. The continuous encircling guaranteed by the use of the concrete, with a wooden plank form, allows the building to settle correctly on the steep slope of the soil establishing a proper relationship between the concrete planes and the wide windows placed on the external planes. The terraced profile, which reduces the volumetric impact in a leafy area, with balanced volumes, is reinforced by the layout of the roof, covered with aluminium panels, sloped towards the east. The terrace of the first floor is planned as a horizontal plane which echoes the “Forester’s spot” on a higher level.

Description

Developer  Consortium for the Equipment and Operation of the underground Laboratory. Canfranc. Huesca
Build surface area  2.101 m2
Total budget  2.830.403€
Location  Parcela B del Área de los Forestales de Canfranc (Huesca)
Competition date  July 2008
Project date December 2008
Completion date December 2010
Programme  Laboratories, workshop, 28 offices, meeting rooms, seminar and exhibition hall
Awards  Competition first prize / Selected at the XI Biennial of Spanish Architecture 2010/ Finalist Garcia Mercadal Award 2011
Photographer Pedro Pegenaute