At IA+B Studio (Bilbao, Spain)

Appointment_2016
Completion_2020
Area_10.591 m²
Overall cost of construction_4.732.250 €
Client_Bilbao City Council

IA+B was appointed to build the new uderground intermodal station after winning the competition launched by Bilbao City Council in December 2015.
The project consisted not only on the construction of the station, but also of the 11-storey building on top of it. I joined the project in the Construction Documents’ delivery phase.

The finalised building includes a hotel, student accommodation and various retail premises, along with the logical connections with the underground station and car park. The volume was conceived as a carved-up cube, so that the first three storeys take the whole rectangle of the site, but the rest are configured in an L-shape. One wing belongs to the student accommodation; the other, to the hotel.
An outstanding, significant and easily recognizable aesthetic was pursued in the exterior. Hence a dynamic double-skin facade was designed, which consisted of metal perforated triangular panels that created a bold maroon gradient across the whole volume.

The project has already become a landmark of the city for both locals and visitors. Not only it is key to the improvement of the interconnection of public transport, but also of the neighbourhood, which was in a state of degradation. Thanks to this
intervention, the Garellano area has won a large public space and a relevant urban facility, which will become strategic for the city’s future.