Description of project by Luis Machuca y Asociados
The Visitor Reception Center of the Caminito del Rey is located on a promontory overlooking the Guadalhorce reservoir, in a place right on the edge of the Natural Area of Los Gaitanes Gorge. This equipment together with a transport interchange are equidistant from both the entrance and the exit of the Caminito del Rey. The building aims to be the place of welcome for visitors of the well-known path. There parking is centralized, and communications are organized within the protected area exclusively by buses. The Visitor Reception Center has a total of 550 m2 and is designed for the didactic explanation of the visit to the Caminito, where both the history of the place and the extraordinary archaeological, botanical, geological and anthropological heritage that this region has.
Due to its location in a protected enclave the building has been energetically designed self-sufficient, without connection to the electricity grid. It is fed by means of photovoltaic panels located about 200 meters from it on pergolas of car parks. This bioclimatic scheme is complemented by a geothermal system to aid air conditioning based on Canadian wells to temper the excess heat or cold that can occur in the interior.
The construction system used for the structure and enclosure of the building based on laminated wood without sapwood allows the pavilion to be removable. Therefore it is a system that allows the place to be returnable to its original state and the materials are recyclable. At the same time these materials in their exterior finish merge with the surrounding nature itself.
The tectonics of the project is expressed through a seriation of pieces of articulated laminated wood forming parallel porticos that are deformed in the upper part. The space between porticos are wooden panels and thermal insulation covered by a waterproofing in which the last layer is formed by micro slate. It could be said that it is a metaphor for the karstic formations of the throats of the Gaitanes. Meanwhile, the space inside the building runs continuously around the two closed toilet and cafeteria modules. This sequence of routes goes from the initial gloom achieved with the indirect light of the skylight to the final opening with the view towards the swamp, thus framing the landscape horizon itself inside the building.
