We developed this project at the request of the Pedreguer Town Hall to provide the municipality with a space in which to hold concerts and events. Inspired by its musical essence, we designed a perforated outer envelope that evokes the scores of music boxes and the glow of a mirror ball on the dance floor.
One of the nicest things we have been told about the building is that it seems that it has always been there. I think it is something beautiful, because somehow it has become part of the place, of the landscape.
The location of this space-public and cultural-in the middle of an industrial estate largely defined the building’s personality. Another important factor was the presence of a road running parallel to the plot, exposing the roof of the building. Under these two premises arose the idea of designing a building that would break completely with the prefabricated and gray aesthetics of the surrounding industrial area. In this way (making it unashamedly striking) we intended to highlight the public and transgressive character of the Rockódromo.
Given the nocturnal and playful use of the space, we chose to create a building that would be closed to the interior, but whose exterior would transmit what happens inside. We designed a prism with a gable roof and red color that surprises in contrast to the leaden concrete buildings that surround it. By giving it this shape we managed to differentiate it from the rest of the constructions and to highlight the roof so that contemplating it from the road would be a pleasant experience. Finally we covered the walls with a layer of corten steel to protect the building from the sun and from possible hooliganism such as graffiti, bumps and other nocturnal activity.
The outer layer in Corten steel is conceived as an accessory that adds the finishing touch to a style, to an attitude. For us it symbolizes something attractive, like putting on a leather jacket before going to a rock concert. We decided to perforate it with circles because the light filtered through them is reminiscent of the flashes of the mythical disco balls. This similarity allowed us to communicate the nocturnal and musical nature of the building to the outside.
