Building for the underground laboratory. Canfranc. Huesca
The building is crossed by a transverse axis with two main entrances: one from the west (through the second floor) and the other from the east (through the ground floor). From this axis, including the staircase and the lift, start, in the three upper floors, corridors parallel to the façade. The two lower floors fit partially into the ground while the three upper floors are embraced inside a compact rectangular encircling plan.
Laboratories and workshop are located on the ground floor. On the first floor there are technician’s offices, a seminar and an exhibition hall. The second floor is used for management area with the main meeting room opening out towards the terrace. On the third and fourth floors are the user’s areas.
The terraced profile reduces the volumetric impact in a leafy area, with balanced volumes. The continuous encircling guaranteed by the use of the concrete, with a wooden plank form, allows the building to settle correctly on the steep slope of the soil. Aluminium panels form the frame which constitutes both the eaves and the projection of the east façade’s last two floors windows, creating a light element which varies with the sunlight to increase the far sights building’s perception.
