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Published on 1 Comment on Architecture in Spain: Sports Centre in Langreo, Asturias

Langreo, located in Asturias  (Northern Spain), is a place where you would be forgiven for gaining the impression that free space was at a premium. A combination of topography, industry and a dense housing footprint give credance to first impressions. ACXT architects were set the unenviable task of converting an old coalfield into something very different.

The Sports and Leisure Centre attempts to create a new open landscape rather than just a new building. It minimizes the impact of its volume. It plays with imaginary tectonic forces acting on the valley by folding the ground. The building is a composition of folds, of green waves correlated with the different interiors. The aim of the design was to provide a model for the redevelopment of the immediate area. The surface area of the green roofs could be extended to form plazas and gardens in adjacent areas currently occupied by ruined buildings.

The L-shaped area where the building is erected, is a highly constrained space. Its boundaries include a train commuter platform, police headquarters, the Nalón River and the local football field.

126 - Architecture in Spain: Sports Centre in Langreo, Asturias

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Published on Leave a comment on Media-ICT office building in Barcelona designed by Cloud 9

Cloud 9 won the top price at the World Architecture Festival 2011 with their Media-ICT office building for Barcelona’s new 22@ district.The Barcelona-based architecture office Cloud 9 Architects won the award World Building of the Year 2011 at the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona, Spain, with their Media-ICT office building.

The architects of Cloud 9 explain that they intended to convey with the Media-ICT building’s façade that the “construction is built from the top and moves downwards, becoming transparent, anti-gravitational, and almost liquid at the bottom”

The façade facing south is made of inflatable ETFE cushions that act as a variable sunscreen – opening in winter to gain solar energy, and closing in summer to protect and shade. At the southwest façade Nitrogen-based fog is introduced in these cushions to increase their opacity and thus to screen off the building’s users.

The photovoltaic roof, the use of District Cooling and smart sensors are additional features that allow optimize energy use within the Media-ICT building.

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Published on Leave a comment on Architecture in Spain: The Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba

The Mezquita dates back to the 10th century when Córdoba reached its zenith under a new emir, Abd ar-Rahman 111 who was one of the great rulers of Islamic history. At this time Córdoba was the largest, most prosperous cities of Europe, outshining Byzantium and Baghdad in science, culture and the arts. The development of the Great Mosque paralleled these new heights of splendour.

Today the Mezquita as it is known can be visited throughout the year. The approach is via the Patio de los Naranjos, a classic Islamic ablutions courtyard which preserves both its orange trees and fountains. When the mosque was used for Moslem prayer, all nineteen naves were open to this courtyard allowing the rows of interior columns to appear like an extension of the tree with brilliant shafts of sunlight filtering through.

Mezquita - Architecture in Spain: The Cathedral-Mosque of Cordoba

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Published on Leave a comment on iGuzzini Illuminazione Ibérica Headquarters in Barcelona, Spain

iGuzzini Barcelona Corporate Building by Josep Miàs has has got the following prizes: Winner at the A+ Architizer Awards,Winner at the Building of the Year Award by Archdaily, Shortlisted at the WAF World Architecture Awards and Finalist at Work of the Year by Plataforma Arquitectura.

iGuzzini Sky is located at one of the major highway interchanges of the Barcelona area (Catalonia, Spain), in an extremely very fragile landscape. In order to avoid modifying the existing topography, a large part of the building’s programme is underground while the rest, the office building, stands above the ground, suspended in the air. iGuzzini Sky is, at heart, an R&D centre for the development of technical knowledge and expertise in lighting systems, the facilities for which are located both inside and outside the building. Most of the programme is housed in the huge underground container—built with concrete walls and screens, and barely disturbing the natural lay of the site—volume it shares with spaces for stock and distribution, product management, a showroom and a garage. Of these only the stockroom requires natural light, and thus is equipped with some skylights in a roof that also serves as a showroom for outdoor lighting systems.

7b32ef11 - iGuzzini Illuminazione Ibérica Headquarters in Barcelona, Spain
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Published on 1 Comment on Cave House in Mallorca by Designer Alexandre de Betak

Nestled in a small coastal village in the Tramuntana region of Majorca (Balearic Islands), with beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea, is the home of French fashion and furniture designer Alexandre de Betak. Inspired by cave dwellings, the interior takes on an organic form, even shelves appear to push forth from natural rock to cradle the family's possessions. Rustic wooden beams, doors and furniture warm the stone surroundings of this eco-friendly construction, and ceilings are cut away in seemingly random patterns of abat-jours in the hallway. In de Betak's own words:

For 10 years I was dreaming about it, for five years I was looking for a spot for it, for two years working on it, for another two years building it, and finally here it is...

Cave Home - Cave House in Mallorca by Designer Alexandre de Betak

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Published on 3 Comments on Architecture in Spain: Modern House in Girona

If you are planning to build a spacious house on a narrow piece of land, you can get inspired by the Step House creation at the Spanish  city of Girona. This brilliant architecture emerges from the thoughts of Catalonian Spanish architects who are part of 05 AM Arquitectura.

The house is chic with unconventional styling employed so as to augment the lighting and spaces of the rooms. The home has been made to align with the north or the south elements and brings in abundant natural light. The house has two main entrances at the first floor, ground entrance and the lower, ground garden level that also makes for car porch. A comfortable living room, compact kitchen and terrace are allocated in the main floor. Between the house basement and the main level, a unique space is crammed in as a transitional level that can be best used for leisure and study spaces.

House in Girona - Architecture in Spain: Modern House in Girona
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Published on Leave a comment on Theatre in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain by Arquitectos Ayala

When the people form Arquitectos Ayala decided to enter the competition to design the new public theatre in Xàtiva (Valencia), Spain, they ascended the nearby Mont Sant near the old fortress to get a better view of the site.

There, they could see how the avenue Alameda divided the old town from the new, and also marked a significant shift in levels and building heights of around 6m. They knew at that moment that the successful scheme would have to negotiate these level differences and integrate both the old and new towns.

Theatre in Xátiva - Theatre in Xàtiva, Valencia, Spain by Arquitectos Ayala
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Published on Leave a comment on Architecture in Spain: Gas Natural Headquarters, Barcelona

The aim was to create an urban landmark in the skyline of Barcelona (Spain) whilst setting a connection with the low-rise houses of the neighbourhood and to generate quality public spaces.

The constructible volume allows it to connect with the many contemporary buildings which have started to appear on the skyline of the city. Miralles Tagliabue( EMBT) also try to make the design compatible with the surrounding urban houses and park in the small scale district of la Barceloneta. It has the verticality of an office tower, whilst at the same time offering an entrance that shows the representative character of the building from a view of the interior.

The application of the various facades follows a similar criteria. A series of large windows create interest close up, while the interesting arrangement of the building protects it from the sun and noise and shows a series of abstract volumes.

Gas Natural Headquarters Barcelona - Architecture in Spain: Gas Natural Headquarters, Barcelona

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Published on Leave a comment on Architecture: Modern House by Roberto Ercilla and Miguel Ángel Campo

The house, located in Uleta (Basque Country) Spain, and completed in 2002 is surrounded by a high fence. Most of the house is top lit via a series of rooflights set in a sawtooth roof. On the ground floor there are large glazed windows looking over the terrace but generally the house is inward facing.

The interior it is light and white, full of Modernist simplicity with a touch of heroism, but on the outside it appears demure, toned down using simple timber cladding.

The architects see this as a critique of the unsatisfactory nature of the luxury housing round about, but a case could be made that the design provides a penetrating insight into a sense of unease about the site and the neighbours.

A modern house1 - Architecture: Modern House by Roberto Ercilla and Miguel Ángel Campo
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Published on Leave a comment on Architecture in Spain: Casa Vicens by Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona

Casa Vicens was Antoni Gaudí's first major commission in the city of Barcelona  (Cataluña) Combining Gothic and Mudéjar (or, Moorish) styles, Casa Vicens set the tone for Gaudí's later work. Many of Gaudi's trademarks are already present in Casa Vicens: bright colors, extensive tile work and elaborately decorated chimneys.

Casa Vicens also reflects Gaudí's love of nature. Plants that had to be destroyed to build Casa Vicens are incorporated into the building.

Casa Vicens was built as a private home for industrialist Manuel Vicens. The house was enlarged in 1925 by Joan Serra de Martínez. Casa Vicens was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

Currently, Casa Vicens is for sale with an asking price of 30 million euros.

Casa Vicens - Architecture in Spain: Casa Vicens by Antoni Gaudí, Barcelona

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