Professional Documents
Culture Documents
by the Portuguese architect lvaro Siza Vieira (Pritz er Prise 1993!" the building that houses the #entro $alego de %rte #onte&'or(nea is located in one of the &ost evocative and sy&bolic areas of Santiago)s &onu&ental zone* alongside the #onvent of San Do&ingos de +onaval (currently an ethnogra'hic &useu&!, Siza)s building reflects his ad&iration for rationalis& and the -odernist &ove&ent" and at the sa&e ti&e his own 'ersonal vision of architecture and s'ace, .ine" light and volu&e co&bine to 'roduce an architecture that is both austere and serene, Stone is used" lin ing with tradition and setting u' a dialogue with the surrounding buildings" in an e/'ression of res'ect for the sense of history that 'ervades Santiago,0he building centers on a single long a/is" its inner s'aces o'ening out along this a/is li e the leaves of a fan, 1/ternally" it is bounded by high walls2 yet the inside is flooded with light,
Introduction
Designed and built between 1988 and 1993" the #$%# #entro gallego or conte&'orary art is a cultural s'ace where art is 'resented through e/hibitions that reflect on the current art scene and the variety of for&ulations and ðods 'resented, 3ts architect" %lvaro Siza Vieira" new 'erfectly fra&ing a building in the &ost 'ersonal art in a baro4ue architecture" as it is very close to the for&er convent of San Do&ingos +onaval currently galego Pobo -useu&, 3n fact" the site of the #$%# is an old garden of the &onastery, Dialogue is ongoing between the two buildings" aun(ndose in 'erfect har&ony of &aterials and for&s and austere lines" res'ecting the rural environ&ent that characterizes this 'art of #o&'ostela,
Situation
0he building is located in one of the &ost fascinating and sy&bolic &onu&ents of Santiago de #o&'ostela" on the edge of the historic city" and beside the old entrance door of the 5rench 6ay,
Meaning
0he &useu& will feature a built e&'hasizing horizontality" strengthening the urban structure that consists of two buildings and three levels" for&ing an urban structure significantly, Siza building defines the 'ara&eters of the streets with their flat facades" volu&etrically occu'ies land available around the triangular7sha'ed and designed as fro& the roof terrace 'rovides e/hibitions and do&inates the city, %bstractionist and sober treat&ent of the roof of granite" is o''osed to all the 'lastic intensity of the city" this feature is essential to understand Siza)s 'ro'osal" the building in its boundaries is a big blan wall of 'olished granite" wanting to 0his inertia ee' their volu&etry triangular 'ris&" altered only by subtracting the volu&e deliberately &ade at the ra&' and access,
Spaces
0he building is built around an a/is" o'en interior s'aces as if it were a choice" constrained by high walls e/ternally and internally flooded with light, 5or the &ain hall can access the e/hibition halls" auditoriu& and library, 0he u''er terrace siluetea the floor and gives a &agnificent view of the historic town" and will include integrating the author of the building, 3t has four floors and roo&s are convertible" the terrace area can also 'rovide e/'osure container security artwor s,
Materials
0he o'tion of using si&'le &aterials such as granite e/terior" which is everywhere in Santiago de #o&'ostela is satisfactory" and that over ti&e due to the 'orosity of the &aterial it will lose its original color and beco&es little by little the color of the +aro4ue buildings" &ore integrated whole, 0he cut granite bloc s for&ing" li e the old buildings which also consists of 'arts or bloc s, 8egarding the &aterials used in the building" it is i&'ortant to note those used in the interior" ta ing three &ain &aterials* the use of granite e&'lastado is 'ainted white" &arble and wood, 9ne can see the te/ture of the wood gives a contrast to the 'redo&inantly white floors" walls and roofs, 0he white &arble $ree s'reads evenly over the floor and furniture in 'ublic areas, %nother note is the &aterial granite 'lasters" used on walls" colu&ns and roof of the building, 0he &arble and granite e&'lastado give a character of 'urity and cal& to the entire &e&bershi', 0he wood is reserved for the e/hibition roo&s" the a&'hitheater and the library,