DETAIL Prize 2014: Rubido Romero Foundation

Nominated for the DETAIL Prize 2014: abalo alonso architects, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Rubido Romero Foundation Lugar de Padin, Negreira, La Coruña, Spain

A traditional building in rural Galicia has been renovated and expanded by abalo alonso arquitectos for use as the new headquarters for the Rubido Romero Foundation. The house with a stable has been sensitively adapted to its new use, the walls have been reinforced and partially clad with wooden panelling, the tile roof has been replaced and a new bathroom installed. The low ceilings have been removed in the entrance area so that the building - in line with its new public use - now has an open foyer with a four-metre-high ceiling. Except for the exposed beams of the ceiling, all interior surfaces have been painted white. The dark granite floor, the black steel rails of the wooden shutters and the daylight that finds its way through the cracks of the wood panelling all create fascinating contrasts. The new bathroom has a skylight that allows in daylight, and the air conditioning unit with a ventilation shaft has also been placed here. In the other rooms the original structure has been retained The traditional building has been adapted using basic materials and with minimal interventions to its future use as a dynamic and rural centre for lectures, exhibitions and meetings.