UTEC University Campus
200best ES
Grafton Architects
2015
Type
University
Tags
spaces of encounter, spaces for youngsters, university campus , dealing with borders, 200Best
Visitability
Allowed
Description
This project overcomes the challenge of constructing a university campus as a high-rise building. It takes advantage of its geographical location, close to the sea and next to a motorway, to present itself as a cliff, creating an edge of great material and symbolic presence. The building is therefore a large concrete infrastructure, reminiscent of brutalist architecture, and at the same time has a certain air of an Inca ruin. While the north side of the building faces the surrounding area like a cliff, the south side is developed as a cascade of gardens, where most of the classes take place.The 7 m high lobby is the public space that welcomes students. From this point, a complex system of spaces at different heights connects the campus vertically, providing multiple opportunities for student interaction and fostering a spirit of collaboration. These intermediate connecting spaces, reminiscent of some of the Smithsons’ projects, create a porosity with the surroundings, encourage ventilation and introduce both the soundscape and the visual landscape of the city.