Once the complex was stabilized and with the help of Florentino Pozo Blázquez's team, the archaeological remains found under the building were integrated into the complex, and the original access to the school was reopened. These two actions together with the configuration of different spaces allow new multipurpose uses of the building.
The project is supported by the main structure of the original building built using stone, earth, and brick, thus creating a clean contrast with the new elements finished in white, installations on the new first-floor slab, and the staircase that gives access to she.
Renovation and conditioning of the Jesuit College by DUNAR arquitectos + TRAX. Photograph Nicolás Yazigi.
Project description by DUNAR arquitectos and TRAX
When we first visited the building, as a result of many years of neglect, it was practically in ruins, it had completely lost its roof, the upper floor slab of the first bay, and it was covered with dense vegetation. Although the competition specifications for the Phase 01 of the project only contemplated work on part of the building, we felt it was essential to complete the entire roof of the building and protect it from the long-standing deterioration it had suffered over time. Once the "wear and tear" of the building has been stabilised, the existing walls and vaults are cleaned and consolidated. This cleaning work gives us the main guidelines for the action; the reopening of the original entrance to the school, in one of its lateral facades next to the access to the church, the integration of the archaeological remains that appeared after the excavation carried out by Florentino Pozo Blázquez's team, and the configuration of a series of interconnected spaces that provide a multi-purpose use for the building.
Renovation and conditioning of the Jesuit College by DUNAR arquitectos + TRAX. Photograph Nicolás Yazigi.
In contrast to the building’s stone, earth and brick, the new proposed elements stand out in their cleanliness and geometric purity. They are configured as simple white volumes, which house the access to the building and the stairs to the first floor, while the new floor slab in the first bay of the building, which was previously disappeared, now houses the ventilation and lighting installations.
In the next phase, currently under construction, the first floor will be refurbished, and the old school kitchen, the rector's office and part of the back garden will be incorporated into the complex as a summer cinema. This completes the cultural programme of the entire Jesuit centre, whose ultimate vocation is to become a reference point for the civic and cultural life of the town.