The Cultural Faculty by Eneseis Architecture

The cultural center “the cloister” is located in the historic heart of Alicante, within the protected environment of the Cathedral of San Nicolas, on the square of the cloister. The old town of Alicante is a strategic point for social and cultural life throughout the city. During the day, is a resort and restaurant, visited both by its bohemian atmosphere as for its historical value. At night, he becomes the main nightlife area of the city and where all the people of Alicante on a continuum of people, terraces, pubs, bars and restaurants.

Our answer was a square building, street-level perimeter. A square stone, using a materiality according to the environment. The stony ground is broken and rises to configure the cover on the top floor exposing the interior glassy always lined sheet metal. In this way it combines the historical and technological double image of the building.

The building attached to the square is an informational device, face when operating as a stand-alone office, using projections and sound dump to the public space outside, the rest of the time. Also the volume is completed by closing the block into the cloister as was required.

The lower floor, below the square, form the building showrooms and separated by movable walls and can enable many adjacent spaces as needed, allowing access to each of them separately through identification cards.

To overcome these facilities off the square, the activities can be projected onto the top floor in real time. This allows us to make clear and visible the creative process creating another tool to promote cultural activity and the use of the building while the building is for every part of the square.

It is therefore a square, understanding the concept of place as a social space for exchange and relationship, generating activity and cohesion. A place with capacity to attract citizens, while able to activate their environment.