Contract - July/August 2013 - (Page 133)

First Floor Plan 6 7 3 5 Ground Floor Plan 4 3 2 1 Botín Foundation Architect MVN Arquitectos Designer Juan Luis Líbano Client Botín Foundation Where Madrid, Spain What 16,600 total square feet on two floors and a basement Cost/sf $140 For a full project source list, see page 146 or visit contractdesign.com. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Entrance Reception Atrium Public space Boardroom Open work area Private office Líbano, maintained the building’s industrial character by revealing its original brickwork. The HVAC, lighting, and mechanical equipment are also exposed. Straightforward materials echo the building’s simple typology. Steel painted black, glass, and oak define the interior throughout the ground floor public space and first floor offices. Light oak flooring and red oak longitudinal wall and ceiling slats differentiate the surfaces. Polycarbonate panels let in natural light, afforded by the building’s centerpiece: a two-story atrium and two skylights in the roof. A living backdrop for public events The skylight above the office space is outfitted with thermal glass to reduce heat, but the skylight above the atrium must allow in ultraviolet light to nourish the trees planted below. The architects removed a steel truss to make room for the large wood “lantern” atop the atrium that directs sunlight downward toward the trees and away from the office space. The idea to plant trees grew from the need for something vertical in that space to direct the eye upward. At first, Varela de Ugarte considered a low-hanging light, but he later settled on the tall, straight trees. “The living creatures give you the sensation of being outside in a park,” he says. “It is the space people use most—many of the events are under the trees.” Plant-like Vegetal chairs by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec are the perfect complement. The ground floor space is uniquely flexible with an open plan and two easily moveable partitions—one composed of transparent glass and the other of opaque timber. The staff moves them nearly every day for events, just as Botín Foundation envisioned. “The design reflects the foundation’s commitment to transforming, creating, and doing things differently,” says Iñigo Sáenz de Miera Cárdenas, the foundation’s general director. And as for that forboding alleyway, it was redesigned to guide visitors to the entrance while telegraphing the warm, pared down design language to be found inside. One wall is planted with vegetation and the other is outfitted with a series of staggered and top-lit slatted wood seats. “The scale of the cladding reduces the scale of the buildings on both sides,” Varela de Ugarte says. “It gives you the sensation of being embraced.” c contract http://www.contractdesign.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Contract - July/August 2013

Contract - July/August 2013
Contents
Editorial
Industry News
Columnist: Tips on Developing Winning Proposals
Product Focus: Geometry Rules
Product Focus: From Brazil to London
Product Focus: Drawn from the Sea
best of NeoCon®
Google Dublin
Autodesk Milan
Dental Clinic
Botín Foundation
Penhaligon’s
Competition: Inspirations Awards
Designers Select: Surfacing
Sources
Ad Index
Exhibition: MoMA Explores the Design Mind of Le Corbusier

Contract - July/August 2013