NP Gas Station / Moneo-Brock

Billboard ads and architecture, and how they relate to landscape when placed along highways, are something that has been investigated in both theory and practice, specially in the US. For example, Robert Venturi analized how constructions were seen from cars in motion. These theories were incorporated into the project, which has a very appealing images but at the same time is reponsable with its surroundings. The canopy looks like birds or clouds on the horizon, between sky and earth.

During the 40s and 50s, gas stations were built with optimism and modernism in mind. Structures cantilevered some magic to the stations. But this building capturates the flow of movement through the curves on its canopy, on a clear statement towards landscape.

The quality of the terrain demanded lots of work, with foundations going up to 15m deep to support the corten steel plates, which don’t need to be painted and age properly.

Pictures and drawings after the break.

Architects: Moneo-Brock – Belén Moneo & Jeff Brock
Location: Madrid, Spain
Collaborators: Benjamín Llana, Andrés Barrón, Sandra Formigo
Design year: 2003-2006
Construction year: 2006-2007
Client: VALAES S.L.
Structural Engineer: NB35, Jesús Jiménez, José Luís Lucero
Contractor: Aguado Ruiz S.A.
Site Area: 7391 sqm
Constructed area: 345 sqm