When architecture becomes a symbol of environmental sustainability: Magén Arquitectos

The plan for the Environment Department of the City of Zaragoza is not just a public building like any other, iconic and attractive, but is itself an expression of the concept of the institution it houses, encouraging sustainability and respect for the environment. The idea of the exemplary function of a certain type of public architecture is increasingly making progress, in the hopes of inspiring citizens to follow virtuous examples.

Jaime Magén’s project is based on two key points: the intense relationship between building and the landscape, of which it becomes an integral, usable part; the second is giving form to the ideas inspiring the institution through its use of materials and design choices.

The roof plays a vital role in this context, as the part of the construction visible from the residential district around it and as a “viewpoint” over the Ebro River. It is an 'extension of the interiors, a space which may be used by citizens in a number of ways, accessible via ramps that can if necessary become places to relax or the stands of an improvised amphitheatre, fully incorporated in the urban landscape.

The green roof also represents the building’s green soul with its solar and photovoltaic panels covering the building’s requirements for lighting at night. By night the big windows light up the space around the building, almost as if to expressing their gratitude for the light that comes into the glass pavilions by day, keeping them closely in touch with the landscape around them.

The Environment Department of Zaragoza, the site of which played an important role in reclaiming the Ebro River for the city, was awarded the “Giancarlo Ius” Gold Medal in the 2011 Barbara Capocchin Awards (see Floornature http://www.floornature.it/notizie-novita-architettura/news-premio-di-architettura-barbara-cappochin-7162/).

Design: Magén Arquitectos www.magenarquitectos.com
Location: Zaragoza, Spain
Photographs: Jesús Granada (1,3,4,6); Pedro Pegenaute (2,5,7)
Related links: http://www.floornature.it/notizie-novita-architettura/news-premio-di-architettura-barbara-cappochin-7162/ , http://www.barbaracappochinfoundation.net, http://www.bcbiennial.info