Mapfre Automovile Services Centre / Beriot, Bernardini Arquitectos

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Text description provided by the architects. The building is the result of an architectural competition fostered by Spain’s leading car insurance company, Mapfre, calling for a new tipology responding to an innovating service offered to its clients: a centre where damaged cars are taken by the client, expertised and stored before distribution to external repair centres.

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The projet aspires to translate the functional optimization of its program into formal resolution, while aiming for a rotund and highly visible image.

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Elevating the vehicle storage element off-ground configures a powerful image of the building in the long distance and generates the public nucleus beneath as a great unified space where vehicle expertising, delivery and pick-up takes place. The client service office cuts out against this space as a singular pavilion. Behind these public areas is the ramp leading to first floor and basement and vehicle loading/unloading from trucks takes place.

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First floor is dedicated mainly to vehicle storage, with all heating, cooling and water and electrical services placed above the ramp. The whole floor is wrapped in a perforated metal sheet, which allows veiled views of parked cars; its impressive corporate red endows the building a powerful and easily identifiable image. The basement is also dedicated to vehicle storage, services and a car wash.

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Given the special characteristics of its use circulations have been carefully studied. Vehicle circulation is based on a two-ring scheme, one for client circulation and the other for internal use, which are tangent in the public area, where vehicle exchange takes place.

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Construction is clearly divided between underground, with reinforced concrete diaphragm walls and pillars, and above ground. Here HEM steel pillars support a series of parallel 1.50m high PVS steel beams, supporting a secondary order of Boyd beams on which the first floor rests. This is a concrete slab on a collaborating corrugated metal sheet, calculated so as to avoid the need for support during concreting.

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