A i B arquitectes + Estudi PSP Arquitectura > Mas d’Enric Penitentiary, El Catllar, Tarragona

Fuente: A i B arquitectes
Fotografía: A i B arquitectes, José Hevia, Paula Arroyo

I.

The prison is an uncomfortable institution and its architecture is often subjugated to technocratic criteria. This servility forces the prison out of the sociocultural realm where it belongs, thus erasing it from public discourse. The invisibility of the penitentiary as an institution demonstrates an unresolved contradiction underlying contemporary society. We intend to explore this contradiction through architecture.

A prison must respond to the demand for confinement (discipline) and reinsertion (freedom) at the same time. Within this complex framework, architecture can make use of its ability to synthetically articulate problems that seem contradictory to become an active agent in resolving the paradox of the contemporary penitentiary.

Based on our experience with the Mas d’Enric penitentiary, we claim the prison as an object of critical design and we reclaim architecture’s role in multiplying possibilities as opposed to limiting them.

II.

Given very strict programmatic requirements, a series of decisions forges a link between the utilitarian and the conceptual: the construction of an appropriable, non-oppressive environment; the introduction of a maximum number of vectors of exteriority; and the  generation of open space that is central both formally and conceptually.

Three keys aspects permeate the entire design process and serve as the conceptual horizons that articulate the project:

- Totality: Tackling the problem of designing a total environment.

- Vibration: Introducing spatial and perceptual diversity

- Openness: Celebrating openness in the heart of detention.

III.

Both typological and topological design strategies are central to the Mas d’Enric Penitentiary project.

Typologically, we aimed to move beyond conventional prison architecture by creating a revised mat-building: the prison is extensive in plan and low to the ground. Contiguity eliminates residual spaces between buildings. It also allows for organizational flexibility while generating exterior spaces in the form of courtyards on different scales.

Topologically, we propose a topographical adaptation that allows for a gentle integration with the terrain. It creates spatial variety while allowing for the absence of any kind of interior fencing. Distant views of the mountains are made possible by an articulation of the ground level. Views of the adjacent woodlands improve conditions in both the cells and the courtyards.

The continuity of the roof works on both a typological and topological level, creating morphological unity for the building and establishing relationships with the large scale of the landscape. The confinement required by the program is not monumentalized; on the contrary, the prison’s architecture faces up to the, perhaps impossible, challenge of creating a genuine home and hearth.

 

Fotografía José Hevia

 

 

 

Fotografía Paula Arroyo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surface Area:
74,130 m2 construction + 130,163 m2 public space, pedestrian areas and landscaping

Budget:
113,830,553 €

Design:
December 2005-June 2008

Construction:
December 2009-April 2012

Lead Architects:
Estudi PSP Arquitectura SCP & Roger Paez i Blanch, UTE
Roger Paez i Blanch (A i B estudi d’arquitectes SLP)
Joan Maria Pascual i Cañellas (Estudi PSP Arquitectura SCP)

Collaborating Architects:
A i B : Iñigo Solano, David Baró, Nicolás Aparicio, Marta Mulà, Luís Arredondo, Jordi Brunés, Gerard Cuartero-Betriu, Eduard Dalmau, Gerard Garcia, Estíbaliz Guitérrez, Jordi Pascual, Arne Schultz-Gambard, Enric Verdú, Sandra Vergara, Cristian Vivas.
PSP: Ferran de los Santos, Josep Pérez, Ramón Torrents, Jordi Morató, Enric Palou, Rafel Montsonís, Fernando Morales, Coral Pallarés, Gemma Mercader.

Quantity Surveyor (bill of quantities+estimates, quality control and site management):
TRAM-J. Hierro Associats (Josep Hierro, Jordi Noguera, Xavier Solà, Toni González, Carlos Zornoza, Natàlia Sanjosé)
PSP: Josep Lluís Pascual-Maragarita Daví

Health and Safety:
Valeri Consultors Associats, Martí-Avilés (Jordi Avilés)

Structural Engineering:
BOMA (Robert Brufau, Nacho Costales)

Building Services (Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing):
JG Ingenieros (Lluís de la Torre, Jesús Valle)

Security Installations:
Helios Grup (Salvador Tarragó)

Urban Planning and Public Works (Landscaping, Infrastructure and Urban Engineering):
BCN (Joan Antoni Paez, Joan Rovira)
EGI (Carles Noguera, Vicent Ballester)
Auding-Intraesa (Josep Secanell)

Esta entrada aparece primero en HIC Arquitectura http://hicarquitectura.com/2016/08/a-i-b-arquitectes-estudi-psp-arquitectura-mas-denric-penitentiary-el-catllar-tarragona/