New water supply in Pontevedra and its estuary. Pumping Monteporreiro by Padilla Nicás Arquitectos
06/04/2017.
[Pontevedra - Galicia] Spain
metalocus, DANIEL MADERA
metalocus, DANIEL MADERA
Description of the project by Padilla Nicás Arquitectos
Monteporreiro is a natural place next to the river Lérez, few kilometers from the city of Pontevedra. In this place, there is a catchment and pumping of water from the river for urban supply.
The increase in population to be supplied necessitates the expansion of capacity of the aforementioned collection and pumping station, maintaining its position along the river. The increase in capacity is achieved by means of new pumps whose height in both use (lowering) and maintenance (high) must be covered by the new building, which determines the minimum height of the same. This is the first condition of the project.
The second condition is the need to ensure a minimum ventilation surface to the interior to ensure the salubrity of the jobs that are developed.
The third condition is that the construction has to be done with precast concrete up to 120cm high.
The project poses a simple solution to the three conditions: prefabricated units reach the minimum height necessary for the operation and maintenance of the pumps and are gradually separated from each other until the necessary ventilation surface is reached, as well as the "gravity" of the final volume. Two metal fronts, like gates, complete the needs of the program.
It is thus formalized as a large abstract element that is only related to the light metallic bridge in the vicinity; unique elements built in the leafy and thick vegetation on the banks of the river.
Francisco José Padilla Alonso (Madrid 1971) and Juan Manuel Nicás Caballero (Jaen 1975) formed padilla nicás in 2003 after meeting at Rafael Moneo´s office, where they worked as partners on various projects in Spain and the USA.
Currently their professional work combines design commissions at different scales, competitions and occasional teaching activities.
Francisco José Padilla, architectural license received from the ETSAM in 1997, began his career in the architectural firms of Andrés Perea, Pedro Feduchi and Ángel Fernández Alba before joining Rafael Moneo.
Juan Manuel Nicás, architectural license received from the ETSAG in 1999 with the National Prize for the Thesis Project, with a scholarship to the Academy of Spain in Rome before joining Rafael Moneo.