Mangado & Asociados, S.L.

Center For New Technologies

Center For New Technologies
© Roland Halbe

CENTER FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES

Francisco Mangado

AREA
3300 m²

PHOTOGRAPHS
Roland Halbe

COLLABORATORS
Ignacio Olite, Idoia Alonso, Francesca Fiorelli, Arina Keysers, Ibón Vicinay

LOCATION
Santiago De Compostela, Spain

ENGINEERING STRUCTURES
NB 35, Jesús Jiménez Cañas, Alberto López

CATEGORY
Educational Architecture

CONSTRUCTION
Acciona

YEAR
2007

ENGINEERING FACILITIES
Obradoiro Enxeñeiros

CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT
Francisco Mangado, Gonzalo Alonso Núñez

Text description provided by architect.

The proposal for the Center for New Technologies of Santiago de Compostela is based on two essential ideas. The first one springs from the conception of the place and its process of topographic adaptation, and the second entails a sense of efficiency.

Center For New Technologies
© Roland Halbe
Center For New Technologies
© Roland Halbe

Efficiency having to do in this case both with the speed in which the project must be executed and with the fact, strictly functional, that the resulting building may need to undergo variations in program over the years.

The building is laid out in two parallel pieces separated by a large glazed courtyard.

The first piece rests on the higher area of the site, more dense and solid, and to a certain extent is transformed into an element that retains the topographical unevenness and houses the access as well as all the uses which may be considered ‘complementary’ to the academic and other general activities of the building (control, administration and installations).

The second piece goes up on the lower area of the terrain, oriented towards the south, light and modular, orderly and smoothly gathering all the classrooms and workshops in such a way that these can be subdivided or brought together in accordance with the different needs and circumstances.

Center For New Technologies
© Roland Halbe
Center For New Technologies
© Roland Halbe

Both pieces are connected by a series of bridges, more or less wide, which hover over a landscaped surface filled with trees. A wider piece (supported off by the two prisms and located next to the entry to provide direct access from the exterior) accommodates the assembly hall.

The surrounding terrain thereby manages to sneak into the building in the form of an interior garden; taking on an essential role as organizational point of reference, ordering all the circulations within the complex, and ensuring, especially from the upper levels, views over the nearby monastery of Gonxo.


Center For New Technologies
Ground Floor Plan
Center For New Technologies
First Floor Plan


Center For New Technologies
South Elevation
Center For New Technologies
North Elevation
Center For New Technologies
Cross Section

Mangado & Asociados, S.L.
T +34 948 276202 F +34 948 176505
Mangado & Asociados, S.L.
C. Iturralde y Suit, 3, 5, 31004 Pamplona, Navarra, Spain