Daniel Mòdol: Casa de la cultura

Spanish architect Daniel Mòdol has completed the Lloret del Mar Casa de la cultura ["House of Culture"], in Spain. The new 8,000 square metre volume is inserted in a newly designed plaza, which in turn is inserted in the surroundings and connects to the old town centre.

The building accommodates the local municipal library, a multiuse hall, a children's play centre, a meeting room, an adult learning centre, a day centre for the elderly and offices for social services. In order to strengthen the public character of the building, and taking into consideration other buildings that feature a continuous façade facing the plaza, the volume is turned by 90 degrees, making its outline higher and so as not to face the plaza, but rather a side street.

The proposal investigated various options that permitted integration of the exterior with the interior, with the objective of bringing the urban nature of the exterior plaza into the building itself. This composition of levels has attempted to enlarge the existing plaza lengthwise, respecting its height to the multi-use hall in the interior of the building.

Reinforced concrete was used as a prime material, in a search for functionality. The building accumulates its largest volumes in the central area, permitting construction of an "interior street" that crosses the space, offering continuity with the plaza, while simultaneously opening up vistas of the layout of the surrounding streets. The large open space that is thus created inside permits an easy identification of the uses configured within the building.

Daniel Mòdol: Casa de la cultura di Lloret de Mar
Architect: Daniel Mòdol
Collaborators: Grupo JG, Instalaciones BOMA, ESTRUCTURAS
Technical architect: Xavier de José Ruiz
Client: Ayuntamiento de Lloret de Mar
Construction: ACCIONA, S.A.
Total cost: € 11,096,393
Built area: 8,460,30 square metres