Oratory and Auditorium Retamar School / Artytech2

Oratory and Auditorium Retamar School / Artytech2

Oratory and Auditorium Retamar School / Artytech2 - More Images+ 17

Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain
  • Architects: Artytech2
  • Area Area of this architecture project Area:  2195
  • Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2014
  • Manufacturers Brands with products used in this architecture project
    Manufacturers:  GUBIA
  • Landscape: Karin Heimannsfeld
  • Structure: Carpentry and woodworks
  • Carpentry And Woodworks: Grupo GUBIA
  • Quantity Surveyor: Gabriel Gómez de la Torre
  • Acoustic Consultant: Vicente Mestre Sancho
  • Contractor: Construcciones Ruesma
  • Client: Colegio Retamar
  • Capacity Building: 600 personas y salón de actos con 450 plazas
  • Architects In Charge: Enrique Hermoso Lera, Karin Heimannsfeld
  • Team: Enrique Hermoso Lera, Karin Heimannsfeld, Mariuca López, David García, Leandro Nuñez
  • City: Pozuelo de Alarcón
  • Country: Spain
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© Javier Orive

Text description provided by the architects. The Retamar School had a chapel for 250 persons, after 50 years of teaching activity and a capacity of more than 2.250 pupils, insufficient for the important annual festivities taking place in this center. We got the commission to present a proposal to substitute the existing building for a new one, with a capacity of 600 persons and an additional auditorium for 450 spectators. Our project was looking for the integration with the rest of the edification, constructed in bricks, but being a representative building for the school at the same time, standing out with its grand roof done out of green zinc.

The building is managed through its interior: The inside space of the oratory, which is logically the most important of the project, has given it its character and its “soul”. A successive division of the great interior space was the strategy. Light enters through the triangular skylights of the roof from portico to portico and is led to the presbytery, dominated by the shrine.

Cortesía de Artytech2

The entrance, placed under a huge and important stained glass incorporated to a curtain wall, is on the wing, which opens to the redesigned plaza of the school. This entrance unveils its asymmetry by creating a first rupture: A grandstand with few steps to the left side, and to the right the main part of the nave. The higher level grandstand and the chorus are used for special days with higher turnout. The lighting there is achieved by a picture window, done as well with stained glass, which, although having a different shape, reminds to a rose window.

© Javier Orive

The nave is covered with timber out of bamboo, worked by Grupo GUBIA in slats at the ceiling, in order to get perfectly adapted to the different curved surfaces of the roof and to achieve the transition from curve to plane, where panels are used. The inside shell of the presbytery substitutes the bamboo for titan with a golden flair, as well as the golden granite changes to green granite around the altar, to mark the difference and the importance of this area.

Cortesía de Artytech2

The bamboo, apart from reinforcing the continuity of the whole space, gives singular warmth and allows that a space with this volumetric character, is capable to proportionate the surface for the acoustic absorption between its slats for chant, word and prayer. All the timber used in the building except the benches is bamboo because of the special properties of this wood.

Planta Sótano

The aisles, playing with the division of the roof, are forming the main entrance under the curtain wall, or are creating the emergency exit and the access to the sacristy following the curved front formed by the confessionals, as well done out of bamboo. The effects achieved by the natural lighting get reinforced and accentuated by the artificial lighting.

© Javier Orive

The oratory appears as a unit, proceeding down through a concrete staircase to the lower level of the auditorium under a huge skylight. On the same floor there are three classrooms, toilets and technical rooms .

Planta Baja

The interior of the auditorium is formalized by the contrast of two main surfaces, two finishes very differentiated: Galvanized deployé metal shields and bamboo panels. This interior game of two main spaces gets expressed at the exterior by the dialog between the brick and the zinc, the static and the dynamic element.

Cortesía de Artytech2

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Project location

Address:Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain

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Location to be used only as a reference. It could indicate city/country but not exact address.
About this office
Cite: "Oratory and Auditorium Retamar School / Artytech2" [Nuevo Oratorio y Salón de actos Colegio Retamar de Madrid / Artytech2] 12 Jun 2015. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/640756/oratory-and-auditorium-retamar-school-artytech2> ISSN 0719-8884

© Javier Orive

蕾塔唛学校礼堂 / Artytech2

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