Antas council and cultural centre
Location: Almeria (Spain)
Year: 2023 - on going
Type: public competition. 1st Prize
Client: ayuntamiento de Antas
Area: 1.675 sqm
Team: Pablo Valero Escolano, David Úbeda Sales, Francisco Garrido Roca, Rocio Martínez-Fons Delgado
Building engineer: Rosalino Daza Fernández
Structures: Tedeco ingenieros
MEP: Miguel Sibón Roldán
Resource: Study for unexecuted wall hanging. Anni Albers
The proposed rehabilitation and expansion of Antas town hall cultural centre responds to the urban values of its context. The irregular and deep site, bounded by party walls, offers the opportunity to use voids and courtyards as key spatial elements, enhancing both habitability and the volumetric coherence of the ensemble.
At the heart of the project, a central void is conceived as an Agora—a vibrant public space for gatherings and events that links Calle Aire with Plaza de España through a pedestrian axis. Programs are organized around this axis, positioning public functions adjacent to the Agora to foster flexibility, interaction, and a dynamic programmatic mix. This interior void also serves as the City Hall’s lobby and atrium, taking advantage of the site’s slope to centralize vertical circulation and strengthen internal connectivity.
The volumetric composition is defined by two main strategies: the removal of rear additions to the Colegio de San José and Casa de las Hermanas, replaced by a uniform volume, and the completion of the existing void along the City Hall side to create a coherent façade facing Plaza de España. These measures provide the building with the civic scale and presence appropriate for its function.
At the urban level, the project establishes a pedestrian axis connecting Plaza de España and Calle Aire, with the Agora acting as a hinge and social hub. This intervention transforms Plaza de España into a quality green space, enhancing leisure and community life.
Materiality plays a key role in connecting the building with its surroundings while asserting its own identity. Local lime mortars, aggregates, and natural stones—including marble and granite—create a dialogue with significant neighboring buildings, such as the Church of Santa María de la Cabeza, while reinforcing the importance of this new civic and cultural landmark.