Auzo Factory Irazábal-Matiko

Suárez Santas Arquitectos (2)
Suárez Santas Arquitectos
Asier Santas Torres
Luis Suárez Mansilla

Bilbao is not only the Guggenheim or its historic centre, but also its suburbs. A continuous ring of districts surrounding the most touristic and mediatic centre of the city with a clear need for architectural intervention. Matiko is one of them, and there the City Council has provided an industrial building to convert it into a centre for entrepreneurs. Named Auzo Factory Irazábal-Matiko, it was created as an action model based on the recovery of old buildings that revitalise the place in which they are inserted.

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The most significant aspect of the project has been to devise a façade that makes this operation visible, with minimum cost and maximum expressiveness. The proposal is for a uniform skin that covers the exterior structure, creating a smooth, larger-scale plane. For this purpose, a material common in installations has been chosen, which has been given an aesthetic virtue: galvanised steel cable trays.

Luis Asín
Luis Asín

Behind this plan, old parapets and window frames are replaced by others that fit the structure, increasing the area of natural light. The metallic enclosure graduates natural light and glances between buildings during the day, while at night it becomes an urban beacon and emphasises its presence in the context. The result is a modest and elegant metal curtain that gives the neighbourhood its identity.

Luis Asín

The material budget for the metal façade (1 kilometre of panels), at around ten thousand euros (28.40 euros/m2), can be considered remarkably low considering the image achieved with the operation. Postulate of more for less with cable trays.

Luis Asín

General information

Auzo Factory Irazábal-Matiko

YEAR

2014

Status

Built

Option to visit

Visit from public roads

Address

St. Matiko, 6

48007 Bilbao - Bizkaia

Latitude: 43.267768582

Longitude: -2.924223807

Classification

Built area

501 - 5000 m²

Awards

XIII BEAU

Involved architects

Asier Santas Torres

Luis Suárez Mansilla

Involved architectural firms

Suárez Santas Arquitectos

Information provided by

XIII BEAU

Website links

XIII BEAU

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Location

43.267768582 -2.924223807 c2da9317-5934-4908-9c0b-a1722e5ea651 Built
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Built
Temporary
Lost
Unbuilt project

Itineraries

Bizkaia

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