Rock art is one of the hallmarks of Cantabria, known for what some consider the most beautiful remains of rock art in the Altamira caves in Santillana del Mar, now they will also have a new Rock Art Center designed by the studio of architecture Sukunfuku studio, led by Iria de la Peña and Miguel Huelga.

The centre is located in a more inland area of the region, on a plot with a complex orography, in a rural environment with a landscape of great beauty, on the slope of Monte Castillo, surrounded by the winding access road to the caves that bear his name, in the Cantabrian municipality of Puente Viesgo, Spain.
The building program, designed by Sukunfuku studio, required a relatively large volume that was intelligently articulated into three distinct blocks, folded like origami in the shape of a "C", around a large central space or patio.

The proposed morphology allows the visual connection between the parts and facilitates its integration with the slope of the land and its layout with the landscape of the hillside. Each of these elements was assigned a specific function: the reception and services area, the exhibition area and the restricted area.

Its position on the hillside and the need to reduce the visual impact of a large volume made it insert into the hillside, which is why it is constructively characterized by a part in contact with the ground made with concrete walls, opening with large glazing in the natural level of the terrain, covering the entire complex with a skin of limestone that gives chromatic unity and textures to the complex.
 
Rock Art Center of Cantabria by Sukunfuku Studio. Photography by Adrià Goula.


Rock Art Center of Cantabria by Sukunfuku Studio. Photography by Adrià Goula.

 

Description of project by Sukunfuku Studio

The Visitor´s Center is located on the hillside of Monte Castillo, within the area of influence of the caves that bear his name and are surrounded by the access road to them. The program demanded a relatively large volume, on the complex ground and immersed in a landscape of great beauty.

The program is divided into three separate blocks: reception and service area, exhibition area and restricted area. The three volumes are articulated and arranged around a central courtyard that distributes and connects the different spaces. The resulting volume is a "C" shape facing the natural slope of the plot, which closes the building creating a "green tribune". The mountain becomes a part of the program, the protagonist articulating the building, inviting the visitor to go out and acting as an external space associated with the activities of the centre.


Rock Art Center of Cantabria by Sukunfuku Studio. Photography by Adrià Goula.

Rock Art Center of Cantabria by Sukunfuku Studio. Photography by Adrià Goula.


The building is executed in two different layers. The lower part is resolved with concrete walls in the areas that contain the land, while the façades that overlook the patio and the access area are mainly glazed. On this base sits the stone roof, which sews the three volumes together and folds to become part of the façade, generating a chromatic contrast, scale and texture. The building integrates and interacts with the natural environment around it, creating a relationship with the topography, and breaking its volumes to adapt to the environment.

More information

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Architects
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Sukunfuku studio. Lead architects.- Miguel Huelga, Iria de la Peña.
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Collaborators
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Construction manager.- José Manuel Gómez Illa.
Structure Engineer.- Estática Ingeniería SL.
Mechanical Engineer.- A6 Ingeniería SL.
Context collaborator.- Mónica Pérez.
Landscape consultant.- Arantxa Zabalza.
Curtain Design.- Akane Moriyama Studio.
Contractor.- Siec SA.
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Client
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Ministry of Culture of Cantabria.
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Area
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Plot area.- 10,000 m².
Total area.- 1,678 m².
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Location
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Puente Viesgo, Cantabria. Spain.
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Photography
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Sukunfuku studio SLP. It is a Spanish architecture studio founded by Iria de la Peña and Miguel Huelga. The origin of studio name comes from sukunfuku, which is a neologism resulting from the addition of two Japanese kanjis: “suku 空” & “fuku 福”, which together mean “good luck”. They cover each project with the utmost enthusiasm and dedication, from large and complex programs to modest typographic designs.

They enjoy working with local artisans, disposing of the materials that live near the project, and adapting them to their new condition. They believe that there are traditional materials that are still modern and can fully coexist with something newly created. They would like to believe that the function and utility of the space they project do more than just change the user's visual perception. They think that it is something that improves people's lives and that it evolves with them. That is why they face each project, however small, as a challenge. Produce sensations for those who use it, and uncertainty and curiosity for those who visit it for the first time.

They firmly believe that nothing is what it seems and that you cannot trust a first impression: appearances are deceiving...
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Published on: May 3, 2023
Cite: "A space that dialogues with its surroundings. Rock Art Center of Cantabria by Sukunfuku Studio" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/a-space-dialogues-its-surroundings-rock-art-center-cantabria-sukunfuku-studio> ISSN 1139-6415
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