Congress Centre

By Editorial Staff - 11 January 2010

Key to the design of the Congress Hall is its location at the foot of Peñiscola castle in front of a park set back from the sea shore. The partly fractured façade on the garden side and a projecting section, although closed on both sides, allow the interiors to extend into the park and provide views across to the sea.
The building opens out onto a wide space where the future park will come right up to the entrance. A part exterior and part interior structure, the lodge in three-dimensional ceramic material forms a further link between the park and the interior, lying outside but nonetheless protected from the elements. The entrance hall is a community area of white concrete, while the roof, visible from the castle, is zinc clad.
The atrium is a fluid, enveloping space in which a series of independent areas have been developed. On the ground floor are the auditorium, administrative offices and exhibition hall. On the floor above: meeting rooms, press offices and cafetteria that opens onto the park and the sea beyond.
The uninterrupted expanse of the gently sloping, 700 seat auditorium has been designed for music performances, convention and screenings. The acoustic panels are incorporated into the single huge undulated concrete slab forming the roof. Wood-lined walls and side galleries are a striking contrast to the white ceiling. Other materials used are slate, grey stone flooring and metal panel false ceilings to conceal the lighting and technical equipment.