BIG wins the contest to design the Gastronomy Open ecosystem (GOe) for the Basque Culinary Center
15/05/2022.
[San Sebastian] Spain
metalocus, JAVIER ARIAS
metalocus, JAVIER ARIAS
Project description by BIG
BIG's design proposal for Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (Ge) at the heart of San Sebastian bridges science, gastronomy, and nature to promote culinary research, innovation, and enjoyment.
The Basque Culinary Center, a pioneering gastronomic institution, launched the international design competition for the new food innovation hub in 2021 with the mission to bring food start-ups, researchers, and chefs under one roof. G0e will continue the development of alternative proteins, agricultural robotics, prevention of food waste, and much more from their new BIG-designed building.
Wedged between the edge of San Sebastian and mount Ulia, GOe is situated in a terrain with a 10-meter height difference. The new building gently rises from the ground floor, utilizing the height difference to preserve and enhance the existing park qualities at the site while creating connections to the adjacent Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and the Cantabrian Sea.
At the street level, the new GOe sets back to create a covered public plaza directly connected to the Camino de Santiago pilgrims' path, establishing the building as a meeting point between culture, gastronomy, and the city. The building rises to create a series of terraces and recessed windows displaying the activity in the kitchens, labs and classes to the public.
Daily users and visitors enter directly into the Gastro Hall, the backbone of GOe. This central space runs from the ground floor all the way to the roof. Like a promenade, the grand staircase connects all programmes and levels within the building and doubles as an amphitheatre for events and lectures, allowing visitors to observe the showcase kitchens and ongoing research during their visit. Climbing the stairs, visitors can continue into the auditorium, public terraces, or experience world-class cuisine at the top flor restaurant.
The food labs and offices are designed to offer maximum flexibility, with open classrooms, laboratories, and kitchens that can be rearranged for different purposes due to the generous height and width of the spaces. All kitchens and laboratories feature industrial materials for hygiene and maintenance, while public programs use natural materials such as wood and stone to create a welcoming atmosphere.
The building's continuous terraces offer different programs - such as orchards, restaurant terraces, and a landscaped auditorium for outdoor events - that allow daily users and visitors to experience nature as well as the activities and creativity of GOe.
Bjarke Ingels (born in Copenhagen, 1974) studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and at the School of Architecture of Barcelona, obtaining his degree as an architect in 1998. He is the founder of the BIG architecture studio - (Bjarke Ingels Group), studio founded in 2005, after co-founding PLOT Architects in 2001 with his former partner Julien de Smedt, whom he met while working at the prestigious OMA studio in Rotterdam.
Bjarke has designed and completed award-winning buildings worldwide, and currently his studio is based with venues in Copenhagen and New York. His projects include The Mountain, a residential complex in Copenhagen, and the innovative Danish Maritime Museum in Elsinore.
With the PLOT study, he won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2004, and with BIG he has received numerous awards such as the ULI Award for Excellence in 2009. Other prizes are the Culture Prize of the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2011; and Along with his architectural practice, Bjarke has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, Columbia University and Rice University and is an honorary professor at the Royal Academy of Arts, School of Architecture in Copenhagen.
In 2018, Bjarke received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog granted by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II. He is a frequent public speaker and continues to give lectures at places such as TED, WIRED, AMCHAM, 10 Downing Street or the World Economic Forum. In 2018, Bjarke was appointed Chief Architectural Advisor by WeWork to advise and develop the design vision and language of the company for buildings, campuses and neighborhoods around the world.