Designing for the perimeter

The new Zubiaur Musika Eskola in Amorebieta-Etxano, on the outskirts of Bilbao, emerged from an architectural competition held in 2015. Conceived as both an addition and a reinterpretation of its context, the project establishes a clear dialogue with the existing facilities while asserting its own architectural identity.

Context Integration

The building transforms the existing dividing wall into an additional façade, completing and redefining the perimeter of the current complex. The original wall of the adjoining frontón ballcourt is preserved and elevated as the central protagonist of the intervention. By exposing and layering the successive walls, the project makes the passage of time legible, allowing traces of the site’s history to remain visible. In doing so, the design safeguards local heritage and collective memory, integrating them into the contemporary architectural language.

Once the formal autonomy of the neighboring cultural center is acknowledged, the Musika Eskola operates as an independent volume. It respects the orthogonality and abstraction of the surrounding structures, yet distinguishes itself as a singular and recognizable element within the ensemble.

Spatial Organization

The newly conceived façade-dividing wall is set apart from the main volume, generating a ground-floor patio and a vertical void that extends alongside the upper levels. The plan wraps around this courtyard, which functions both as a drainage basin and as a rainwater retention space in the event of flooding.

A subtle setback from the longitudinal façade creates a sheltered porch at ground level, marking the main entrance and reinforcing its civic presence. Above, the upper floors complete the program in the form of a regular three-story prism, arranged parallel to the new façade-wall and complemented by a projecting corbel. The compact floor plates maximize usable surface area, forming an efficient and clearly defined spatial container.

Façade & Staircase Design

To achieve fully open-plan interiors, the structural system is pushed to the perimeter, allowing the façade to act as a self-supporting envelope. This strategy liberates the interior from structural constraints, enhancing flexibility and spatial clarity.

The staircases are positioned outside the primary prism and enclosed in glass, heightening transparency and reinforcing the building’s abstract character. More than a circulation device, the stair becomes an architectural promenade: it frames views toward the adjacent park, reveals the scale of the internal courtyard, and underscores the building’s identity as an extended, cohesive, and singular spatial composition.

The post Zubiaur School of Music was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.

Transforming an abandoned industrial building from the 1960s to a state-of-the-art gym, provided the opportunity for Cyprus-based ADP Architecture Design Practice to pay tribute to the building’s heritage and maintain elements from its past. The main building has been restored to encompass all the activities and needs of the gym such as areas for free-weights and weight equipment, an MMA cage, and Martial Arts area. Concurrently, the mezzanine hosts supporting functions and the old annex is reconnected to the main building to provide space for changing rooms and lavatories.

The front façade has been completely reimagined, half escaping the concrete envelope and providing the illusion of a solid corten block when approaching from the west and the other half is dominated by a curtain wall that opens visibility between the public busy street and the gym’s main space.

While the roof has been replaced, the new metal structure follows the original wooden beams and a secondary support system allows the exposed services to suspend mid-air. A tailored lighting plan signposts circulation and activity zones with emphasis placed in the elevated cage area aiming to showcase the protagonists of the fight.

Completing an adaptive reuse project is a challenge on its own. Even more so, when the project requires a speedy construction time of only four months, taking place during a global pandemic with restrictions in factories and construction sites imposed. The excellent communication between the design and construction teams and use of BIM systems to coordinate information has been instrumental in achieving the complex construction of the exposed services in a matter of weeks as well as dealing with an existing structure of the 60s.

Lelita Ioannidou, Director at ADP Architecture Design Practice comments: “We are extremely excited to play our part in the revitalisation of the industrial area of Egkomi and as strong advocates of reuse and we hope that this project inspires a wider adaptation of local industrial heritage.”

ADP Architecture Design Practice

Unseen Views

The post Molon Labe Gym was originally published on ek magazine | Architectural Publications | ek magazine – Architectural Publications.