Creation of artist residences inspired by Gaudì in Spain
HONORABLE MENTION
As part of the international design competition “Gaudì La Coma Artists’ Residence”, launched to honor the artistic and intellectual legacy of the master Antoni Gaudí, a volumetric and architectural composition has taken shape in Huesca, Spain, aptly named “La Coma”.
This project includes residences for artists and educational spaces, embodying Gaudì’s core principles of harmony, plasticity, color, and nature.
DETAILS
Status: Architecture Competition
Client: Gaudì La Coma Artists’ Residence – Gaudi Knowledge Association and Ingenium Lab
Design team: M. Valagussa, P. Giromini, E. Ivanova
Location: Huesca (Aragona – Spain)
Scope: Private
Sector: Hospitality
GALLERY
Description
The architectural concept is for a structure that is seamlessly integrated into the landscape, redefining its spatial dynamics and aesthetic appeal. The design harmonizes with the undulating terrain, with sinuous and organic forms distributed over two primary levels, complemented by a series of secondary terraces.
The transition in elevation between the two main levels houses accommodation and laboratory spaces. On the upper level, an expansive open terrace follows the contours of the hill, housing a botanical garden and a car park shaded by a tin roof. A monumental staircase connects the two areas, leading beneath the terrace to the lower level. Here, under the upper terrace, an elongated portico gives access to the internal chambers of the complex. At the opposite end, the portico opens onto a landscape of cascading green terraces with extensive flower beds and towering trees. The floors of the portico, terraces and colonnade are decorated with colored ceramic fragments, recycled as a tribute to Gaudì’s stylistic legacy. Inspired by the contours of the nearby mountains, the monumental colonnade defines the surroundings, while the terraces evoke a dreamy atmosphere, conducive to reflection and meditation.
Inside, the complex comprises four artists’ residences of 65 square meters each, a hostel with 20 rooms of 25 square meters each, a communal kitchen and dining area, a co-working space and four classrooms designed for multi-purpose workshops, adaptable by means of sliding walls.
The project, which incorporates sustainable and cutting-edge technology, includes the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roof of the car park to meet the energy needs of the residential complex, as well as a comprehensive drainage and water harvesting system for the part of the hill covered by the intervention.
Status: Architecture Competition
Client: Gaudì La Coma Artists’ Residence – Gaudi Knowledge Association and Ingenium Lab
Design team: M. Valagussa, P. Giromini, E. Ivanova
Location: Huesca (Aragona – Spain)
Scope: Private
Sector: Hospitality