Ibarra Sports Center

Project Synopsis

ituation.

The sports facility is located on the demolition site of the old sports center building, located at No. 11 AUZOA ETXEBARRI. at the town of Aretxabaleta.

The Site.

It is located adjacent to an elongated urban park along the river Deba. It extends along the southern front of the town, and has a rectangular shape arranged along the base of the slope on which the complex is located. Along the East-West direction, the new facility grows stepwise slope, occupying even some more land.

Description of the adopted solution.

The new Aretxabaleta sports center building location remains in the site of the old one. Its arrangement, perpendicular to the line of maximum slope, staggers the distribution and even the orientation. Increasing the occupied area, the height, and therefore its volume. Making necessary to "fix" the whole set on the base of two bodies in order not to alter the scale, but ensuring a smooth transition to the rest of the nearby buildings. A pair of prisms who, obeying a sort of a programmed uses, besides show a resounding articulation of the new sports complex image.

In this way, and over a large plinth that happens to be the first prism seated on the sloping terrain, emerges, as if supported, a second much lighter body. The displacement between these two overlapping bodies not coincident in horizontal projection, increases the idea of a formal autonomy, identifying them independently. So the first one represents the supporting element of the lighter one. Both, material and outer texture operate in the same direction, allowing cracks and notches on the lower one as if it were a rock. Meanwhile, the upper body leans towards the urban fabric, flying over the northern town front. This lightweight gesture increases its material quality, lighter, brighter, reflective, and more abstract. Appearing as a lantern suspended from his vantage point that overlooks the entire valley.

This process dematerialize the whole building, making it more transparent as it grows up. The stacking of uses, specially the location of water facilities on the upper level, is justified by the limited land available to accommodate such a large program. A fact supported by the location of the sun deck facing the best orientation, and its close continuity to the pool beaches.

The location of the bulk of the program in the lower body groups all services and technical elements articulated around the climbing wall and the sports court. Only the pools and the spa are within the upper prism. Functionally detached, while enjoying superb views towards Aretxabaleta and the valley of the higher Deba. This watchtower location is from the very beginning the design reference and the idea generating it. A large window that opens to the landscape, relating sport activities to the environment.

The Facade.

The copper skin enveloping the lower volume façades, is formed by a rhythmic arrangement of vertical trays lined up with classic TECU copper sheets. These trays are hung from a lacquered steel substructure made of hollow sections 110.6 in an horizontal layout.

The trays in 10.62 m. and 6.28 m. long and 500mm. and 230mm. widths are previously built in a workshop, featuring a 50mm. thick sandwich panel core, working as a coated support covered with 0.5 mm. copper sheets.

The trays are vertically placed through a rhythmic drive, due to the combination of the two tray widths and the space or gap between them. Giving the façade a high degree of vibration.

The chosen material allows in a natural oxidation process to the reddish-brown hue of the sorrounding soil, establishing a chromatic match to the hillside on which it stands. Emphasizing its character.

Text.- Asier Acuriola, Fernando Bajo