Ibaiondo Civic Center / ACXT Arquitectos

Architects: ACXT Arquitectos
Location: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Client: Vitoria-Gasteiz City Council
Project Team: Jesús Armendáriz Eguillor, Amaia Los Arcos Larumbe, David Resano Resano
Building contractor: UTE SERIDOM / ZIKOTZ
Envirionmental Enegieneering: Juan Luís Geijo Angulo, Iñigo Aguirre Armentia, Elena Gezuraga Torrecilla, Camino Lopez Uriarte
Project Year: 2009
Project Area: 14,200 sqm
Photographs: Josema Cutillas

Ibaiondo Community Centre has a 14,000 sqm area and is located in Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain). These types of buildings bring together sport, leisure and administrative services for residents living in different parts of the city.

Once all interior functional, spatial and organizational requirements were defined, the architects designed an extroverted look to appeal the citizens, with the outside communicating and representing the services that are provided inside: theatre, leisure and sports swimming pool, solarium, café, indoor sports centre, library, workshops, council citizens help points, etc.

The Project avoids forms of an elaborate façade composition, and shows itself as irregular and polyhydric, with a leisure personality. Because of such diversity at interior layouts, the exterior catches the visitor’s eye, specially the polymer concrete facades, with a multidirectional groove to create an optical polychromatic illusion.

The building interior layout follows an extensive and strict functionality criteria defined by the Council technical team at competition phase. Sport services (Swimming pool and Indoor sports centre) are located to the north following a ‘cartesian’ geometry, due to their size and scale. The rest of services are placed to the south, with some sort of volumetric anarchy facing the residential area. Other uses are organized along a corridor separating and linking together different services. From this corridor, through glass enclosures, the visitor can recognize the different activities inside the building, as a suggestive ‘showroom’.

Energy sustainability in the building is ratified by a high energy efficiency qualification, obtained by ensuring good thermal isolation and high equipment performances. Also an approximate 700 sqm area of solar thermal collectors provide energy to heat water for both swimming pool and building hot running water. This dedicated design generates an estimated C02 emissions saving of up to 1,900 Ton.

Text provided by ACXT Arquitectos