Master of Architecture - Final Thesis

M.ARCH FINAL

THESIS

PROJECT

“The

atrium of the new Ponce Inter·Continental is a truly magical spa

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

tropical climate, in a celebra

ace, where the unique architecture of the hotel coexist with the intense

ation of color, light and life�

HOTEL H

- From Ico

INTRODUCTION The proposed project takes place in the old Ponce Intercontinental, a luxury hotel now abandoned, located in the city of Ponce, Puerto Rico.

One of the most interesting things you find doing research about the hotel is how, even though its short working period (it was open between 1960-75) the hotel stablished itself as the main icon of the city, an historic point of reference and was even labeled as National Icon for the island. It served as a meeting point for international artist and politicians, and part of its success was due to its outstanding location, placed at the top of “La Colina del Vigía”, the highest point of the city.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

HISTORY

on to Ruin -

That is why the main focus of this propposal is, rather than a regular intervention, to give back to the hotel its character as an icon, granting the city a new point of reference that will help in its reactivation.

For that the propposal is to convert the hotel in a “All Star Hotel� a unique space where 1, 3 and 5 star hotel program live together.

CIRCULAR E

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

ECONOMY The idea behind the design process, linked to the concept of Boutique Hotel and the concept of icon, is to perform in the hotel a journey through the memory of Puerto rico.

To do this we start under the hypothesis of rescuing a series of elements of P. Rico history that have now been forgotten, from the old trains used to transport (of both people through the island and commercial trips for the rum and sugar industries), abandoned now all over the island, to the pot stills, barrels and silos used in the manufacturing process of the sugar cane and the elaboration of rum, two of the main products of the island.

Under this hypothesis an intense research work about Circular Economy and its application posibilities in the field of architecture is developed, as well as the elements to be reused, their current state and their different features.

1 STAR ROOM

Some of these elements (or part of them) are studied, restored and separated in pieces. Once this is done, the elements are carried to the hotel, and there they are transformed, hybridized or reinterpreted to generate space and help shape the program. This way the trains will become the rooms, and the elements for the manufacturing of rum and sugar will become the bath and leisure units.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

3 STAR

ROOM

5 STAR ROOM

Each star category is given a room/train model and a bath/leisure unit, that are then hybridized and transformed.

INTERVENTION

- General S

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

N IN THE HOTEL

Strategies -

The original structure of the Ponce Intercontinental Hotel its composed, mainly, of large horizontal trays that work as continuous floor slabs of reinforced concrete, supported on a grid of reinforced concrete pilars, that goes from the foundation to the roof.

On this structure, and in favor of the proposed intervention project, a series of actions will be carried out, gathered in this document.

THE INHAB

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

BITED RUIN

The hotel is now understood as an inhabited ruin, from which its most interesting and characteristic elements, such as the balconies, the canopies or the facades are preserved, restored or reinterpreted, but the interior is emptied, becoming a serving space for the propposal.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

The hotel is organized following a functional scheme, with a big floor plan connected spatially and dedicated to different public uses, and the restoration of the hotel bar to house the rooms, opening a large central atrio that allows visual connection between the rooms and the floor plan as well as the circulation of large air currents through all the hotel.

This way, each part has its own entity, but everything works as a whole.

The stars are organized in the upper bar through stripes, from the center of the atrio and way from it: - The 1 star space is organized arround this atrio, working as a “corrala”, while the 3 star stripe is located north of it and the 5 star one is located south. Associating with it the different hotel categories to a progressive increase in privacy.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

1 STAR

The 1 Star room its built reusing the old mercancy wagons that managed the transport of sugar cane all over the island to the “Haciendas” where the sugar cane was treated to achieve rum, the main product of the island.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

R ROOM

The wagons are arranged one after the other forming a “corrala� around the atrio, and they grow in height by placing metal racks in situ, generating a vertical world of bunk beds, nets, plants and stairs inside the wagon till the hotel roof, where the room is crowned with a common area overlooking the entire city.

1 STAR

Original Wagon - Model: Mercancies Wagon -

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

R ROOM

Transformed Wagon - Model: 1 Star Hostel -

TRANSFORMAT - 1 Star

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

TION PROCESS Room -

5 STAR

The 5 Star room its built through the transformation of an Imperial Car model that is arranged over the existing hotel structure, in a situation of apparent loss of balance that provides the space with a certain theatrical component.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

R ROOM

The interior of the room is wide and spacious, with a big King Bed in the middle, large windows (the train’s originals) placed at bed height, and the rest of the components hanging from the room roof, a grid of panels made up of pieces of boats.

5 STAR

Original Wagon - Model: Imperial Car -

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

R ROOM

Transformed Wagon - Model: 5 Star Suite -

TRANSFORMAT - 5 Star

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter·Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

TION PROCESS Room -

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

POT S

- Leissure 5 S

Original Pot Still - Industrial model for Rum treatment Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

STILL

Star Space -

Transformed Pot Still - 5 Star Leissure & Bath Unit -

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

The Longitudinal Section allows to understand the general intervention strategy in the Ponce Intercontinental Hotel, based on a series of steps and decissions that make up the project as a whole: - The separation and stratification of the space in 3 Star categories that are arranged vertically and are connected and unified through a big central atrio, which works also as the neuralgic center of the hotel.

- The implantation of new light structural and constructive elements made of metal, polycarbonate and wood that coexist with the original structure and esthetics of the hotel, large reinforced concrete floor slabs.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

- The placement of a large arcaded roof of catenary arches, that on the one hand responds to the extreme conditions of the tropical climate and on the other it becomes a tribute to the hotel’s arcade system and a simil with the original domed canopy cover.

- The continuity of public space through a concrete topography below the original canopy.

The different bath units and room models unite and concatenate, generating different spaces that are unified by placing a new roof.

THE NEW

- A Treatise on

The new roof fulfills the double function of enhancing the original architecture of the hotel and adapting to the extreme tropical climate: Its a double roof, consisting of a lower arch and two upper half arches, adn two skins, one exterior made of polycarbonate and an inner skin made of EFTE, that works as an insulation layer and allows the roof to work as a solar chimney, cooling the interior space.

The water collection its enhanced with large gutters placed between the two arch levels, water that will be gathered and directed to different uses.

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

W ROOF

n Tropicality -

Exterior Skin Polycarbonate Panels

Latticework Metal Rings

Inner Skin Efte Bags with air chamber

Large Metal Gutter

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

Intervention & Restoration of the Ponce Inter¡Continental Hotel - Luis García Grech

“The rooms of the hotel are crowned with common areas under the new roof, connected by an elevated walkway overlooking the entire city, the new highest lookout of Ponce�