Project Info
Architects: Fuster Arquitectos + Julio Sagasta
Location: Carrús, Elx. Alicante, Spain
Team Manager: Julio Sagasta Sansano + Francisco Fuster Selva
Clients: Ajuntament d’Elx + Conselleria de Cultura Generalitat Valenciana
Project Area: 2,377 sqm
Year: 2010
Photographs: Diego Opazo
Introduction
Carrús Cultural Centre building is located inside a building grouping. This group consists of two buildings: the Social-Cultural Centre and the Elche`s Municipal Archives. The Municipal Archives is the first phase of the complex, in order of execution. The building was designed in conjunction with the architect Julio Sagasta Sansano, the new Elche`s Municipal Archives was an adventure in which we repeated a second time collaboration and understanding was complete.
Details
The set has a very successful implementation inside the city of Elche. The building stands on the Vinalopo river´s edge, near the Bimil.lenari bridge. The building is situated on a hillside facing south and east, it creates a visual dialogue with the city skyline and Elche´s Palm Grove, which is recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The project is on a triangular plot, with a slope to the south-east due to the natural topography. The ensemble is made up of three main bodies, they are placed on a plinth that solves the slope of the land’s topography. The plinth generates different levels so it appears diferents acces between the bottom and the front of the building. The plinth creates a square with an interesting relationship between volumes. In the square begins an interesting dialogue between urban space and the Plam trees`s landscape. So it establishes several visuals points that make notable landmarks of the city such as Santa Maria’s Basilica (with its dome and bell tower), El Molino Real, and Altamira`s Palace.
Elche`s Municipal Archives is a simple prismatic volume, it is placed at one end of the site. The building highlights the long windows of the side wall, placed by functional requirements and lighting use. Otherwise the building´s headwall generates a architectural volumes´s excitement. Building materials are committed to quality and simplicity, concrete, single layer mortar, steel and glass are used.