November 23, 2014

EXIT ARCHITECTS: REHABILITATION OF FORMER PRISON OF PALENCIA SPAIN AS CULTURAL CENTER




REHABILITATION OF FORMER PRISON OF PALENCIA SPAIN AS CULTURAL CENTER BY 
EXIT ARCHITECTS




REHABILITATION OF FORMER PRISON OF PALENCIA SPAIN AS CULTURAL CENTER BY 
EXIT ARCHITECTS
The former Palencia Provincial Prison complex was created at the end of the XIX century, built with brick bearing walls following the “neomudéjar” style, and composed mainly of four two-storey wings and some other with one storey. On this building was planned a comprehensive refurbishment to transform the former use and convert it into a center that promotes the social and cultural activity in this part of the town.
Our proposal intends to convert the former prison into a meeting place, recovering some of the old spaces, and creating at the same time new structures that make possible the new planned activities. It is a project that respects the existing building, which is given a contemporary, lighter appearance, and where the natural light will play a key role.
With this aim the main two-storey wings have been refurbished, emptying their interior and placing a new independent structure to bear the new floors and roofs. Besides, between the main wings have been built new connecting pavilions, which form the new complex perimeter and give it a modern and friendly aspect.
To introduce the light in the building we had to remove the old covered with tiles which were in very poor condition, and have been replaced by others of zinc that open large skylights which introduce light into the open halls of the Center.
The entire building is organized around a great hall that connects the 4 pavilions of the former prison. It is a diaphanous space based only on a few mild cylindrical courtyards of glass that illuminate and provide the backbone of the stay. Due to its central location in relation to the pavilions, this space acts as a nerve center and distributor of users, across the Pavilion access and reception, directed towards the rest of the areas of the Centre.
The hall gives way to the lateral pavilions where the auditorium and various music and art classrooms are. On the upper floor, under a large glass skylights, are two multi-purpose areas dedicated to more numerous groups.
In the area where is the cells of prisoners were, we placed the library. The reading rooms are articulated around a central space of high-rise under a lantern of octagonal shape that acts as a distributor for the different areas and that arrives vertical communication and control areas and offices.
Finally, access to the Centre are carried out through a very light and bright glazed perimeter that pretends to be a filter between the city and the activity of the interior. A structural steel beam travels abroad tying areas glazed with the former factory walls getting an alleged industrial air.
The use of metallic materials in all intervention, as the zinc in facades and roofs, glass and uglass in the lower bodies and skylights and the aluminium lattices as light filters also contributes to this.
Rehabilitation of Former Prison of Palencia as Cultural Center's photographs had taken by Fernando Guerra & Sergio Guerra.





























































































































EXIT ARCHITECTS
JOSE MARIA TABUYO
MARIO SANJUAN
ANGEL SEVILLANO
Exit Architects integrates the personal and professional experience of an architects team gathered round their common interest in developing a people-aimed architecture. We intend our architecture to play a role in citizens’ everyday life, making them feel and experience through materials and spaces.
Exit Architects try to create “alive” buildings, inserted in society, and spaces where users share experiences and interact. We believe it is possible to integrate in each project the technical rationality and the emotion at architectural spaces, to combine the construction precision and the intuition, to unite functionality and beauty.
We believe it that is possible to integrate in each project the technical rationality and the emotion at architectural spaces, to combine the construction precision and the intuition, to unite functionality and beauty.
Our work seeks the optimum integration of all the circumstances around each project, with special focus on the client needs, the relation between buildings and city, the sustainability and the intention of producing contemporary architecture.
http://www.exit-architects.com/01%20ESTUDIO/exit-perfil-EN.html
EXIT ARCHITECTS TEAM
Exit Architects is an architects team created to integrate the knowledge and experience of its members, in order to face their professional work with the maximum soundness and capacity.
The team’s philosophy is to develop each project in a personalized way, aware of the uniqueness of each client, identified with his needs and objectives, and adapted to the specific circumstances of each place.
Our experience is supported by more than 85.000 m2 and 79 million euros of designed and built work in the last ten years, mainly housing and public buildings.
This baggage has provided us a deep and realistic understanding of the whole construction process, and the ability to make both top quality projects as well as an effective management of all the people involved in them (property, contractors, authorities, ….)
We are as well involved in various collaborative initiatives with other international architectural practices in order to broaden our scope of work and open us to new experiences.
http://www.exit-architects.com/01%20ESTUDIO/exit-equipo-EN.html