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Centre For Usage Of Steel Promotion.

Part 1 Project 1999
Juan Valdebenito
University of the Bio Bio | Chile
Steel as Material:

The steel is understood a line of tension that could be incorporated into a major structure where it is possible to imagine movement (forces and connections).

Maximun tension is the expression of force and lightness is movement.

The steel is under continous exhibition because it "becomes" the building. The degree of approach for the visitor depends on the scale of perception ot the spatial experience that the user has within the building itself. The use of steel in this building is dramatised by contrasting its expression with otner materials, double hights, etc.

Proposal:

This centre works in two scales. 0ne is the urban scale with the image of refurbished gas tank and the other is the architectural scale where all the levels are related by a central opening in the tank. This tank is integrated to a new building trough a hanging bridge.

Water is used to accent the distance and define different activities. It also makes a greater the contrast between the old and the new.

Juan Valdebenito


This project is the final in third year and was thaught as a Centre of Usage of Steel Promotion.

The project should be studied from the point of view of construction materials depending on the theme given (timber, bricks, steel, etc.)

This Centre is a place where the steel is exhibited and its use encouraged. In this way the brief imposed the idea that the building should be built with steel showing its possibilities and solution in construction.

In this particular project, the student took into account the history of Concepcion and refurbished two existing gas tanks and well known as urban landmarks on site. In this sense there are two formal languages the one that is recycled and the other that is brought into the existing schape.

The programme includes 1 auditorium (in the tank), exhibition rooms, (1 of them floating on water), administration and other rooms.

1999
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