New Theatrical Space in Níjar

Centro de Artes Escénicas en Níjar

New Theatrical Space in Níjar
Address: Calle del Barrio San Sebastián, Níjar, Spain
Investor:Empresa Pública de Gestión de Bienes Culturales, Junta de Andalucía, Diputación Provincial de Almería, Ayuntamiento de Níjar
Project:1998
Completion:2001-2007
Built Up Area:2536 m2
Price:3 153 135 Euro


The site is in an area of old terraced orchards that is barely visible from the street. These terraces, a characteristic images of Nijar, can only be seen properly by moving away. 
The town has gradually expended over these orchards but the aspect of the street has remained the same. The new theatre space is installed on one of them. This urban feature, the power of the landscape and the topography ,largely determined the general concept of the project, while additional goals in the overall idea were to capture part of the terrace landscape and limit the height of the project on the main street, where the public enter the complex. 
We were asked to develop an exhibitions pavilion, a theatre suitable for versatile uses, studios for music and rehearsing rooms. We grouped the program of diverse functions in two pieces, joined at the deepest level of the ground, with the intention that the two parts, each defined by the activity it contains, emerge separately beyond the canyon. 
Surrounding these two objects, a “moat” that frees the building from the ground, from which it rise the natural land fixed with breakwater rocks. 
Where the two built pieces wrap, a marionette theatre welcomes children. We pretend that the package of the building, light panels of piercing and stretched aluminium plate, increase the idea of overlapping elements, looking towards the far away Cabo de Gata. 
We were interested in pursuing the concept of a singular space in the interior of each built volume. This was reached by considering them as tubular elements, homogenous along their axes, so that within the interior different functional packages are inserted, leaving a continuous hole that finds its way through this coloured boxes. 
The tubular shell, with its materiality, protects the void within the interior from the cruel climate. The inside packages, that define happy spaces for music, theatre, foyer, cafeteria, move and appear unaffected by the strong sun of Almeria through the openings that we call mouths that coincide with the transversal section of the tubular element. These openings are the only points where the inside life of the building is seen, especially at night, when the colour boxes appears enlightened. This public building seduces the town inhabitants with its interior activity, and extends its interior public space to the urban public one. 
We wanted the building life to be understood by going from one side to the other. We hope that echoes and bodies run between the two volumes, through that space through which the landscape or the torrid shadows of the hot summer of Almería penetrate.
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The plot on which the Centre is built is located in an ancient area of terraced gardens and is hardly visible from the street. Although the adjacent town has gradually built over these gardens, it does not appear that way from the street. The urban structure, the strong expression of the surrounding landscape, and the local topography had a fundamental influence on the design of the main lines of the project. Capturing part of the terraced landscape and defining the height of the building towards the main street, where the public entrance is located, were additional conditions in the development of the mass design. The building program consisted of designing an exhibition hall, a multipurpose theater, and music halls and rehearsal rooms. This functional diversity was divided into two buildings, which are connected at the lowest floor. This achieved a distinct expression of both masses, which rise above a gentle slope. The adjacent patios bordered by gabions help to lighten the masses from the terrain. The space between the two buildings belongs to children, who can also enjoy puppet shows here. We aimed for the lightweight outer skin made of perforated aluminum to emphasize the idea of suspended parts of the building, from which there is a view of the distant Cabo de Gata. We were interested in promoting the concept of a unified space within the built masses. We designed a homogeneous tube throughout its length, into which we inserted variously colored functional packages of spaces that the connecting corridor passes through. The tubular shell, with its material conception, aims to protect the interior from the aggressive climate. Inside the buildings, there are playful spaces for music studios, a theater, a foyer, and a café. Through large glazed walls at the ends of the tubes, almost year-round sharp sunlight, typical for this area of Spain, penetrates. These places are the only areas where life inside the building is visible, especially at night when the colorful interiors are illuminated. The public building aims to attract primarily local residents with its activities. We hope that the life of the building will be understood as the movement of people between the different parts of the center. We hope that voices will be heard between the buildings and the shadows of running children will pass by, not just on hot summer days.
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...No ba!...
šakal
09.02.12 03:46
to šakal
Daniel John
09.02.12 05:48
Představte si, že na Václavském náměstí
takyarchitekt
10.02.12 12:58
...Ufff...
šakal
10.02.12 01:54
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