Cultural Center San Fermin
Pamplona, Spain

The municipality of Pamplona invited a selection of national and international architects to submit proposals for a new Cultural Center that bears the name of the famous annual San Fermin Festival. The site is located 40 meters beneath the main level of the old city, to the north of the historic centre of the town. The theme of routes plays an important role in the festival, particularly during the Encierro – Running of the Bulls – and the design emphasises the importance of the connection between the historic city and the Cultural Center. It strengthens the link between the two by introducing a new route that goes through and around the building, integrating it into the existing sequence of public spaces. This theme continues in the interior of the new building from which the visitor is connected with his surroundings through carefully positioned openings. The robust shape of the building relates to the appearance of public buildings in the historic town; solid and simple. The design presents itself as a contemporary and sensual intervention that is distinctive in form but clearly forms an extension of the old city wall with its harmonious use of material, creating a transition between old and new. A comparable integration is achieved with the park; its form appears as a landscape element but in colour and material it is respectfully distinct from the green and surrounding nature.

Country
Spain
City
Pamplona
Function
Public
Size
6,000 m2
Assigned by
Municipality of Pamplona
Status
Competition in 2001