THE SPANISH PAVILION AT EXPO ZARAGOZA 2008

An example of sustainable architecture.

Zaragoza (Spain)
20 June 2008

Company: Patxi Mangado

Product/Designer: Cerámica Decorativa, Akaba.

Within the framework of the Zaragoza 2008 International Exhibition, which is being held under the slogan “Water and sustainable development” from 14th June to 14th September, the building which represents our country is particularly noteworthy. In collaboration with the Renewable Energy National Centre of Spain (CENER), it is the work of Patxi Mangado, an architect from Navarre who currently combines his well-established professional career in Spain with important teaching work abroad, including architecture project workshops that he directs at Harvard University and other institutions in the USA.

The Spanish Pavilion, which has been managed by the State Society for International Exhibitions (SEEI), is already known as “the forest”, thanks to the 750 remarkable ceramic pillars that surround the building like trees and due to the microclimate generated inside. Ceramic, a key element in the Spanish Pavilion, was initially chosen with an air-conditioning effect in mind, but it has ended up fulfilling a crucial role in the appearance of the building, acting as a symbol of the pavilion. Under the slogan “Science and Creativity”, the project focuses on innovation and ethical architecture, which is committed to the environment and sustainable development. It reproduces a forest, “a natural space,” according to Mangado, “so simple and yet so complex, where the light that penetrates the tall trees and the sound of water immerse us in an experience which today, due to environmental deterioration and urban life, is almost a luxury.”

The pavilion itself integrates several renewable energies and is an example of sustainability. The building’s roof, which provides shade, is fitted with solar collectors, photovoltaic panels and water accumulators in order to reuse rainwater. The exterior of the building exterior is reminiscent of the poplar forests that are characteristic of the banks of the River Ebro. The pillar forest is wrapped around translucent glass volumes, in which the exhibitions are housed. The earthenware covered pillars absorb water and fulfil a role similar to that of air-conditioning, creating a microclimate. The 25,000 pieces in yellow, red and ochre tones that cover the 750 pillars, which are 11m and 16m high with a metal core, have been produced by the Spanish company Cerámica Decorativa, in partnership with the Toni Cumella-Cerámica Cumella workshop.

With its artisan and careful production of terracotta flooring, the Pascual-Barreres family laid the foundations in 1862 of what today is Cerámica Decorativa, a company that was founded in Oliva (Valencia) in 1967. The artisan wisdom of five generations provides body and texture, the life and flavour of Decorativa’s terracotta.

AKABA has supplied a wide range of its products tothe Pavilion of Spain, including the auditorium, the restaurant, the offices and the presidential office, as well as the meeting rooms. The furniture of AKABA in the Pavilion of Spain is made up by designs by Jorge Pensi and Patxi Mangado. This company, specialized in office furniture, was established in 1986 and stands out for its avant-garde designs and for its capacity of developing special tailor-made projects. With the classical aphorism “Less is more”, they maintain a synergy between the value of modern materials and manufacturing processes. AKABA exports some 50 per cent of its products to the US, China, the UK and other European countries.

The Spanish Pavilion, which during the Expo will house the exhibitions entitled “Water Babies”, “Water on Earth”, “Spain and Water”, “ZaragozaKyoto. Architectures for a sustainable planet” and “Understand in order to survive: climate”, is one of the most emblematic buildings in the Exhibition, both in terms of aesthetics and the materials employed. Once the exhibition has ended, the pavilion will become the headquarters of the City of Film and Image.