Located in a new area of expansion in Orio, just north of the Cantabrian motorway that connected San Sebastian to Bilbao, the Auditorium and Cultural Facilities Proposal by SOMOS Arquitectos won the first prize in an open competition. Taking advantage of the freedom regarding the position of the building according to the open regulations, they wanted to develop and fix their proposal based on three key decisions: built volume integration, the connection between urban plaza and marina, and an open independent structure. More images and architects’ description after the break.
It is in this town where the highway is closest to the sea and it is here where Orio emerges as a clear reference to the Basque coast. The plot chosen cannot be more representative. To the east lies the new residential area with a four-floor profile, to the west the river Oria ends in the Bay of Biscay, accommodating a marina. This dune area must be understood as a means to connect both landscapes. The new Cultural Center must channel these two different flows and function as a place of encounter for these two fronts separated by different levels: sea and land. The new Cultural Center is a pole that brings meaning and value to this new urban extension in front of the House of Culture on the other side of the highway.
