
Retiro Pavilion
Madrid, Spain
We see temporary events within the city as an urban festival: a ‘pagan’ vision of celebration, where to be, to see, to listen, to share is part of the ritual. We believe that a building should reflect this dualism. The project seeks to portray something recognizable, powerful but not reckless, expressing the dual understanding of the function of the building and incorporating the benefits of a privileged location: The Retiro Park.

In order to define a cultural space which responds in a simple way to the needs of a demarcated auditorium with a controlled climate and an easily accessible public exhibition space, the project opens up to the park whilst remaining within an envelope which delimits it spatially and gives it scale. The colonnaded structure, which depicts the trees in the surrounding landscape, frames an internal yet totally open space intended for quiet contemplation, discussion and possible open air events, mixing the institutional function of the pavilion with daily life in the park.

Project:
Clara Solà-Morales with Eduardo Cadaval
International Competition