Center for technical development of physical, sportive and leisure activities in the natural environment of the Tagus River in Guijo Granadilla (Caceres

The center for technical development of physical, sportive and leisure activities in the natural environment is located near the village of the dam Gabriel y Galán, in Guijo de Granadilla, Cáceres, in the western part of Spain, near the Portuguese border. The terrain of the peninsula, in contact with the waters of the reservoir around its perimeter except for a narrow passage which forms the southern access, has a total area that varies depending on the season and the water level. The area suitable for occupancy is above the level considered non-flooded (387 meters above sea level), with a surface of 65.036 square meters.

The formal and material expression of the ring is strong and recognizable as a contemporary intervention in an exceptional landscape. The building is integrated into the environment so that its volume becomes part of the landscape. Thanks to the stainless steel sheet of the facade, it disappears because it reflects the surrounding landscape, the changing light, the movement of leaves in the wind or the flight of birds; the building becomes a chameleon into the environment.

The ring is as respectful as possible, avoiding visual and physical barriers and integrating within an environment of great scenic and environmental value as neutrally as possible. It rises from ground level, floating without changing the topography. The visual difference between the inside and the outside is shaded by a line under the building, which varies throughout the day. Between the ring and the ground, in this shadow, a series of outdoor spaces are created, spaces of activity and essay.

The choice of façade materials, stainless steel, makes the building take the colors and light of the different seasons and times of the day, dematerializing itself.

The execution time of the work was five months. The construction was understood more as an assembly of pieces rather than a conventional construction, as if the building was a great meccano. This was achieved thanks to a systematizing of the steel structure and a homogenization of the constructive systems in the whole project.

The Center is equipped with special facilities for research into new techniques and materials, training of professionals, the diffusion of nature activities and the creation of new companies and entrepreneurs. The facilities include the reception and information center, physiological laboratories, business incubator, a center for documentation and diffusion, the residence for researchers, the cafeteria, the dining room, various test benches, and storage and locker rooms.

Project title:
Center for technical development of physical, sportive and leisure activities in the natural environment of the Tagus River in Guijo Granadilla (Caceres)

Location:
Dam Gabriel y Galán, in Guijo de Granadilla, Cáceres, Spain

Construction:
March2008 - December 2008

Total floor area:
5211,72m2

Architect:
José María Sánchez García

Contact:
Calle Sagasta 4 ,planta 3ºD - 1, 28004 Madrid, Spain
tel 0034 91 5231885
[email protected]
www.jmsg.es

Photographer:
Roland Halbe - [email protected]
Pablo Calzado - [email protected]
Consejería de los Jóvenes y del Deporte – Junta Extremadura

Client:
Consejería de los Jóvenes y del Deporte – Junta de Extremadura

Building firm:
UTE Magenta – Construcciones Pinilla, S.L.

Architect:
José María Sánchez García

Team:
Enrique García-Margallo Solo de Zaldivar, Rafael Fernández Caparros, Maribel Torres Gómez, Laura Rojo Valdivielso, Francisco Sánchez García, José García-Margallo, Marta Cabezón, Mafalda Ambrósio, Carmen Leticia Huerta.
Structural engineer: Gogaite S.L
Services engineer: ARO consultores

Technical architect:
José Luis Periáñez
Pedro Miranda
Fernando Benito Fernández Cabello