Centro Comunitario

Centro Communitario Santa Cruz Bezana

The location of the new Community Cultural Center in Bezana presents several important challenges. The presence of physical barriers (rail lines, tunnel under the CA-300, highway A-67) as well as the inconvenient location of the Bezana Civic Center, generates a civic ostracism that It is not possible to resolve. Also, the site is surrounded by semi-industrial, programmatically diverse, and visually heterogeneous environment which presents unavoidable acoustic and visual issues.

The contextual limitations and restrictions of the site foster the opportunity to generate a public meeting space that will facilitate the procurement of social activity in this area of the municipality while the activities offered within the Cultural Center should be designed in a visually and acoustically suitable environment.

Thus, we proposed the creation of a public square. An intimate, static and visually controlled space directly connected to the different programs of the Cultural Center. This public square will also serve as a meeting place between neighbors and visitors alike. The square is flexible and versatile and can be used as a terrace expansion adjacent to the cafeteria, a summer theater area or an exhibition area for outdoor exhibitions as well as miscellaneous events and celebrations. The Auditorium is located below ground level using the uneven terrain to our advantage by naturally providing the necessary acoustic protection. TO prevent programatic isolation a large window visually connects the Auditorium with the external public space.

The building’s base materiality is conceived of sandstone with zinc roofs and wooden carpentry. This material expression is inspired by deeply rooted vernacular traditions in the use of stone masonry in Cantabria. This sustainable approach aims to establish a connection between the architectural legacy of the region and the technical and programmatic needs of the new center.