EL FARO

BADAJOZ (SPAIN)

Client: Private developer
Date: 2019
Status: Completed
Program: New Concept Design for a Sustainable and Bioclimatic performance
Scope: Schematic Design and Bioclimatic Strategy

Our proposal for the Badajoz Centro Comercial reactivates a shopping center in Extremadura. Shopping centers tend to be closed buildings, with very little connection to the outside space and they generate a perception of artificiality, both through this closedness and through their standardization. 

The project seeks, first of all, to open up and connect the building with the rest of its surroundings with an important natural component. It also seeks to take advantage of the very good weather conditions that characterize this region during most of the year.

The Badajoz Centro Comercial is a new concept of shopping center that is open and sustainable and improves its architectural quality and ecological impact through six main interventions:

1. OPEN: Open the roof and facades, eliminating the enclosures and leaving the main structure of pillars and beams.

2. COVER: To generate shade and climatic comfort, the space will be protected from solar radiation by textiles and vegetation. The textiles on the façade will also be used as screens for projections at night.

3. INTRODUCE VEGETATION: The main element of the space will be its large central courtyard: a natural green area that gives a totally new character to the environment. In addition to creating a friendlier environment, the green courtyard will have the key function of improving bioclimatic conditions indoors.

4. ORGANIZING INTERIOR SPACES: The areas dedicated to the restaurants are arranged on the perimeter, turning their activity towards the open natural courtyard. The area on the second floor of the restaurants becomes a space with great potential to expand terraces and include new activities. 

5. BIOCLIMATIC STRATEGY: Different passive and active climate control systems will be introduced, including vegetation, water misting systems, textiles for solar protection and fans.

6. INTRODUCE MULTI-PURPOSE BLEACHERS: The main access to the second floor is resolved with a social and recreational grandstand, which connects visually and physically with the outdoor activities.

In addition to these six interventions, the project follows a framework for activating its environment. More than 43,000 sf of parking area can be converted into a public space for events, concerts, children’s games and pop-up activities. It is a flexible space that blurs the limit between indoor and outdoor, creating a more connected and natural experience. On the perimeter of the space, plant topographies create a visual boundary that delimits the parking area. Among the trees in these more natural areas, kiosks house commercial activity and restaurants, reactivating and integrating the shopping center within its rich environment.

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