PUERTA AL MAR
Door to the Sea
The proposed New Congress Center of Alicante reimagines the traditional rigid congress layout—the triad of lobby, hall, and logistics—into a fluid, permeable “territory.” Positioned on the southwest portion of the plot, the building consolidates a compact, monolithic outer volume while housing a fragmented collection of programmatic halls around a monumental, light-filled central void.
By compacting the built footprint, the design frees the eastern sector to establish a Mediterranean urban forest that extends the city’s ecological corridor directly to the edge of the harbor.
The Urban Forest & Elevated Plinth: A semi-submerged parking level sits above sea level, extending beneath an artificial topography of slopes and stepped terraces. This plinth forms a shaded Mediterranean urban forest, providing public outdoor seating and a direct civic link between the city, the sea, and the congress entrance.
Monumental Central Hall: Conceived as a barrier-free extension of the public realm, the central void connects all three congress halls. A continuous spiral ramp leads visitors to upper-level meeting suites and administrative offices.
Modular Auditorium Strategy:
Main Auditorium: Features a hybrid seating configuration with a fixed rake and a sunken pit that transforms into an expanded stage. A broad, horizontal ribbon window creates an iconic sea lookout (mirador).
Secondary Auditoriums: Two adjacent halls equipped with retractable seating that can operate independently or combine into a single large-capacity event space.
Roof-Level Office Pavilion: Located on the top floor beneath a heavy triangulated structural truss, the offices feature independent circulation and open onto planted sunken courtyards (patios ingleses) for daylight and passive ventilation.
The proposed New Congress Center of Alicante reimagines the traditional rigid congress layout—the triad of lobby, hall, and logistics—into a fluid, permeable “territory.” Positioned on the southwest portion of the plot, the building consolidates a compact, monolithic outer volume while housing a fragmented collection of programmatic halls around a monumental, light-filled central void.
By compacting the built footprint, the design frees the eastern sector to establish a Mediterranean urban forest that extends the city’s ecological corridor directly to the edge of the harbor.
The Urban Forest & Elevated Plinth: A semi-submerged parking level sits above sea level, extending beneath an artificial topography of slopes and stepped terraces. This plinth forms a shaded Mediterranean urban forest, providing public outdoor seating and a direct civic link between the city, the sea, and the congress entrance.
Monumental Central Hall: Conceived as a barrier-free extension of the public realm, the central void connects all three congress halls. A continuous spiral ramp leads visitors to upper-level meeting suites and administrative offices.
Modular Auditorium Strategy:
Main Auditorium: Features a hybrid seating configuration with a fixed rake and a sunken pit that transforms into an expanded stage. A broad, horizontal ribbon window creates an iconic sea lookout (mirador).
Secondary Auditoriums: Two adjacent halls equipped with retractable seating that can operate independently or combine into a single large-capacity event space.
Roof-Level Office Pavilion: Located on the top floor beneath a heavy triangulated structural truss, the offices feature independent circulation and open onto planted sunken courtyards (patios ingleses) for daylight and passive ventilation.
Client
Alicante city
Program
congress center
Partner in charge
Toshihiro KUBOTA
Francisco Martinez
Architect
Javier Moltó
Associate Architect
José María Tomás Llavador
Landscape architect
GMPaisajistas
Technical Engineering
FVAI
AMAT Y MAESTRE
Alicante city
Program
congress center
Partner in charge
Toshihiro KUBOTA
Francisco Martinez
Architect
Javier Moltó
Associate Architect
José María Tomás Llavador
Landscape architect
GMPaisajistas
Technical Engineering
FVAI
AMAT Y MAESTRE