Pazo de Quián

The refurbishment of the building complex for the new Center for Promotion and Image of the agricultural, stock and forest products of Galicia at Pazo de Quián is triggered by criteria of integration in the surrounding central Galician rural landscape, as well as by environmental sustainability strategies.

On one hand, the building complex is clustered in a series of cores, organized around cloisters that connect together the different pieces of program. These cores are laid on the existing natural terrain at different heights. A series of water features guide the visitors through the concatenation of spaces. They also link the Center to the natural cycles of the site’s ecosystem. This generates an organic building system able to grow, adapt or shrink in size throughout time in response to the changing needs of the Center. Additionally, the scattered and versatile layout makes direct reference to the unplanned growth pattern of the surrounding rural settlements. Thus, it frames the project in its specific context and integrating it in the natural landscape.

On the other hand, the materiality and formal structure of the buildings directly respond to the climatic conditions of the site. They aim for the reduction of the energetic needs of the complex, and the optimization of natural resources. The buildings’ facades change according to their orientation, offering a series of passive climate conditioning systems that translate into significant energetic and economic savings. The buildings are finished in pieces of local granite, integrating the new constructions with the pre-existing historical elements at Pazo de Quián, while also offering ideal conditions for interior temperature and humidity control.