Dresden Museum of Contemporary Art – Estudio Barozzi Veiga, 2007
For our 5th installment of the AD Futures series, I have choosen Estudio Barozzi Veiga (EBV). The studio was formed in 2004 by Fabrizio Barozzi (Trento, Italy, 1976) and Alberto Veiga (Santiago, Spain, 1973). The preactice is based in Spain, but with project all over Europe (and a villa in China).
Why did I choose them? It wasn´t because of ORDOS 100, but actually for all the recent competitions they have won, on which you can see an excellence in design. Every one of this projects features a different approach in terms of design, showing a constant experimentation and search for innovation inside the practice.
Some of these awarded projects are currently ongoing (ROA Headquarters at Ribera del Duero, Aguilas Concert Hall and the Szczecin Philharmonic Hall), so we are close to see built projects from this practice.
Now onto some of these projects:
EBV Architects is an architectural practice founded by Fabrizio Barozzi (Trento, Italy, 1976) and Alberto Veiga (Santiago, Spain, 1973) devoted to architecture, urbanism and interior design for both public and private sectors.
The experience accumulated from the collaboration for years with reknown architects has allowed setting up a professional practice of high calibre, where architectural investigation plays a leading role.
EBV Architects has won numerous prizes in national and international competitions, with projects that stand out for their singularity including the Auditorium and Congress Hall of Águilas (Murcia), the Rehabilitation of Santa Clara in the historic city centre of Úbeda (Andalucia) and the Headquarters of Ribera del Duero wine ruling board in Roa (Burgos).
Szczecin, Poland. International Competition. 2007 – First Prize. Status: In progress
Szczecin is one of the biggest and most interesting cities of Poland. This metropolitan area has been for several years neglected in its aesthetic way. Now the city has the chance to enter Europe with a renewed face without fear of challenges, open for its habitants and tourists.
During the Second World War, the traditional ‘Konzerthaus’ was destroyed by military operations. We are bringing back the lost function to the site, underlining the corner and accentuating the cultural heart of the city. All this by a strong, spectacular building with a massive emotional load. The new building completes the existing tourist route and revitalises the city. It is a contemporary icon, new ‘cathedral’ for the city. The architectural expression of the project is a continuation of historic heritage of the region. It was born from enclosing space, from sheer roofs and distinct vertical divisions of neighbourhood residential buildings, neogothic adornment, monumentality and verticality of Szczecin´s churches. The project finds a balance between mass and verticality.
The building consists of many small-scale elements which all together create one impressive totality, perfectly cooperating with the place where it is situated. The glass façade reflects the impressions of the city, and changes with year’s and day’s seasons. During the day is the building appears as a shiny object in front of the grey city background. In the night it becomes a spectacular bright cathedral, the light of Szczecin.
Águilas, Spain. 2004-2009 Competition: first prize. Status: under construction.
The objective of the competition is the proposal of an auditorium for the municipality and the landscaping of a plot situated on the waterfront of Águilas.
The project rises as a response to the particularity of the site: on one hand, the need of a relation with the urban fabric that grows towards the city centre while on the other hand a preservation of the expressive nature of the surrounding landscape.
In this contraposition, the project defines the tensions that articulate it and allow it to form a coherent response to the surrounding conditions. Through this contraposition, the project is defined as a dialectic, sober and powerful reflection, between the urban artificiality and the natural forms.
The project appears as a modeled mass according to the tensions of the different spaces around it. Towards the city, it offers an urban side; clean, ordered facades, that recreate a building bock towards the streets. Towards the sea, it becomes more site specific in a spatial search that interprets the configuration of landscape and geography. The project, towards the bay is modelled with broad concave surfaces that strongly relate to the surrounding landscape. It sits like a candle facing the sea, formed according to the coast’s profile and opens up towards the horizon.
The project sits on the East part of the plot, in such a way, that the tree-covered area on the West part can remain and contribute to improving the city’s profile towards the sea. This operation allows creating a compact building that leaves areas of the plot open to the sea. The open spaces are defined by the access ramp and a set of wide steps. The access ramp defines the access to the building as a walk through the trees, while the stairs that lead to the entrance, provide an outdoor theatre.
This configuration, more than an attractive formalization and a discreet presence on the city’s waterfront, allows an articulation of the building’s section. The routes inside the building vary in section and thus offering an articulated spatial variety, as well as a clear functional order of the different uses.
The project design follows the symmetrical implantation of the masterplan and completes it. The two main entries to the site are situated north and south of the castle Gottesaue. The project preserves the historical axes without enforcing it.
The programme is functionally divided in two parts. The four institutes north of the site and the multifunctional hall with its belonging functional spaces in the south. Both parts can be accessed from a common, covered outdoor space next to the castle. The entrance hall of the multifunctional hall is directly connected with the main entrance and can be used independently from the other functions.
The rooms of the institutes and the functional rooms belonging to the hall are situated around the public space, the garden. They are seen in the idea of an “exedra”: spaces that are opened by a porch to a green public space. The created covered outside space is a place to stay, to relax, a place to meet and socialize.
The building lies harmoniously in the environment, and the facades orientated to the garden are completely out of glass. The landscape reflects in the facade, the project becomes part of the landscape and disappears in it. What remains visible is a filigree architecture: two plaques and a line of pillars. There is no division between inside and outside space. To create certain privacy inside the building, the facade is made of reflecting glass which permits students to see outside and protects them of views from the outside.
Karlsruhe, Germany Competition 2007, Honourable Mention
The project design follows the symmetrical implantation of the masterplan and completes it. The two main entries to the site are situated north and south of the castle Gottesaue. The project preserves the historical axes without enforcing it.
The programme is functionally divided in two parts. The four institutes north of the site and the multifunctional hall with its belonging functional spaces in the south. Both parts can be accessed from a common, covered outdoor space next to the castle. The entrance hall of the multifunctional hall is directly connected with the main entrance and can be used independently from the other functions.
The rooms of the institutes and the functional rooms belonging to the hall are situated around the public space, the garden. They are seen in the idea of an “exedra”: spaces that are opened by a porch to a green public space. The created covered outside space is a place to stay, to relax, a place to meet and socialize.
The building lies harmoniously in the environment, and the facades orientated to the garden are completely out of glass. The landscape reflects in the facade, the project becomes part of the landscape and disappears in it. What remains visible is a filigree architecture: two plaques and a line of pillars. There is no division between inside and outside space. To create certain privacy inside the building, the facade is made of reflecting glass which permits students to see outside and protects them of views from the outside.
