During the 14th annual Tile of Spain Awards, the prestigious Architecture Award was presented to “Multipurpose Teaching Hall at the Gavina School” or “Pabellón Docente Polivalente Escola Gavina” located in Picanya, Valencia. The winners, Carmen Martínez Gregori, Carmel Gradolo Martinez and Arturo Sanz Martínez were awarded 17,000 Euros for their stand-out project.
The multipurpose teaching hall was constructed to house a new sports facility complete with changing rooms, a music room and a motor skills room while also being equipped to host an array of additional school sponsored events such as meetings, parties, concerts and theatre shows. While taking on a modern twist, the building also needed to blend with an existing school building that dates back to 1980.
The composition of the new building is a direct reinterpretation of the original concepts used, including unique geometrical features. To make this a seamless match, the architects came up with an innovative construction solution: a rectangular prism of white concrete walls with hollow corners to allow for space in the entrances and the illumination of various openings.
The southern façade provides direct access to the outdoor sports track, which also connects directly with the indoor track, the largest space in the building, by a large sliding door positioned under a large glass panel fitted from floor to ceiling used to illuminate the interior.
On the east façade is the main entrance to the building, as well as a large glass panel that illuminates the music room. Once inside, the entrance leads to the corridor that takes visitors to the various different rooms on the ground floor and the stairs up to the first floor.
Finally, the hollows on the north façade house the access to the installations facilities, as well as the light and ventilation hollows on the ground floor. A spatial structure was created for the roof, characterized by a pattern that creates triangular skylights. This solution not only provides illumination, but also allows for excellent cross ventilation, thereby eliminating the need for additional air conditioning systems.
Congratulations, again, Carmen Martínez Gregori, Carmel Gradolo Martinez and Arturo Sanz Martínez, for your award winning use of Spanish ceramic tile.