Workshop: Dietmar Eberle | Shape, Structure & Façade

Shape, Structure and Façade

Workshop leader Dietmar Eberle (Baumschlager-Eberle Architekten)
Workshop assistant Alberto Nicolau
Project location Madrid, Spain
Duration Five days

Approach

Architecture, seen as the language of the city, emerges as a means of expression that goes beyond simply fulfilling a predefined program. Breaking away from the traditional approach focused on meeting a set of requirements, there is a glimpse of a future-oriented approach that seeks the ability to blend different periods into a single work.

For a century, housing has been the epicentre of quality of life and remains a central issue. The biggest fallacy of modern architecture lies in limiting itself to fulfilling a program without considering the essence that will endure over time. The longevity of buildings lies in their acceptance by society. Beyond the quantity of structures erected, the key lies in quality. Historical representation is not just a reflection of architectural styles but a narrative intertwined with people’s lives. Architecture should not be a mere reflection of the past but an active contribution to the present and future of society. The essential question should be: why did people choose to build this?

It is crucial to shift the focus from the determination of the city by buildings to public space and the atmospheres they generate. Design begins with shared spaces, with the sensations they evoke. The city, at its core, is forged at the intersection of these experiences, and architecture, as a language, must be an ongoing conversation between the past, present, and future, contributing incessantly to the social fabric.

Tasks

This workshop had a distinctive format. Each day, we confronted a diverse set of tasks at various locations throughout Madrid. Once the daily assignments were accomplished, we were required to select a colleague’s project and transition to the subsequent challenge.

Task 1 First volumetric approach
Task 2 Structure
Task 3 Façade
Task 4 General development of our preference

Sites

Site 1
Madrid’s historic city center. Location developed mainly between the 16th and 18th centuries. Barrio de La Latina. Ground surface: 424 sqm.

Site 2
Location that was developed during the last part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Barrio de Almagro. Ground surface: 1.516 sqm.

Site 3
Location in development by buildings of this 21st century and in current densification. Barrio Imperial. Ground surface: 5.950 sqm.

Task 1, Site 3
First Volumetric Approach

The context of the 21st century allows us to adopt some contemporary style with some freedom. However, the approach focused on volumetric design, so it was taken as a reference to the dimensions of the surrounding buildings to maintain urban cohesion with the neighbourhood.

Task 2, Site 1
Structure

When we were in the historic part of the city, a traditional reinforced concrete structure was proposed with walls of ceramic brick masonry. The main reason is the difficulty of using prefab elements given the difficult access of cargo trucks through the narrow streets.

Task 3, Site 2
Façade

Inserted in a context of the late 19th century but with adjoining buildings of the 20th century, the facade design of our building involved a mixture of these two styles to respect the urban landscape. Constructively, the façade is now completed by prefabricated industrialized panels.

Task 4, Site 1
General Development

Façade

The facade takes as inspiration the regular arrangement of windows of typical historical buildings. With better protection and thermal insulation systems available today, the dimensions of the openings are more generous to allow more natural lighting and better views of the city. The detail that gives it a striking feature is the curvature of the front of the building taking advantage of the small niche formed at the junction with the adjacent building.

Structure

The main intention is to adopt a structural system of reinforced concrete beams which allow interior spaces completely free of columns, which will be hidden within the walls. In addition to this, it is also proposed that sectors of bearing walls collaborate with vertical loads. This is done by using large slabs and beams that are as efficient as possible by having multiple points of support.

Organization

The main intention of this collective housing building is to achieve completely free and flexible spaces to adapt to any type of program. That is why the arrangement of the openings is not conditioned by interior walls. As for circulation, there is a single nucleus of vertical circulation in the centre of the building, avoiding the waste of unnecessary square meters of corridors.