abalo alonso arquitectos give new access to the seaside ribadeo

‘ribadea accessible’ by abalo alonso arquitectos, galicia, spain
image © santos diez / bisimages
all images courtesy of abalo alonso arquitectos

the ribadeo is a popular touristic port area in galicia, at the bridge that connects galicia with asturias, and is a heavily visited tourist destination for national and international visitors alike. it does posses, however, a challenging topography that restricts usage between the two most visited points: the historical downtown and the scenic seaside marina. spanish practice abalo alonso arquitectos set out to introduce a third element that would bridge the two and improve the area for the expected rise in tourism while facilitating transportation for locals as well. the intervention sits closer to the marina, right after the atalaya lookout point where a gently sloping landscape suddenly finds itself with a 20 meter cliff. previously, people would need to use a car to travel from the downtown square to the sea, polluting both historic sites with automobiles – not typically a desired aesthetic. both sites are separated by a total of 40 meters in elevation change, so the design for a transportation tower took form at the steepest point. using board-form cast in place concrete, the orthogonal structure resembles a textured slate material responding to the rocky terrain. four arms contain different functions: two are used for public entrances and exits and the other two for services, each with their own orientation.  an additional parking lot also allows visitors to leave their cars closer to the marina, which has more ample space, and with the new structure allows them to visit both sites without needing to take their cars, freeing the area from congestion.

image © santos diez / bisimages

view from the marina
image © santos diez / bisimages

image © santos diez / bisimages

upper entrance
image © santos diez / bisimages

view towards the bridge from the lookout point
image © santos diez / bisimages

image © santos diez / bisimages

closed entrance prevents vandalism
image © santos diez / bisimages

lower entrance
image © santos diez / bisimages

bird’s eye view
image © santos diez / bisimages

site plan

floor plans / level 0 (upper left) to level 7 (lower right)

elevations

sections

section diagram

project info:

architects: abalo alonso arquitectos. elizabeth abalo, gonzalo alonso. www.abaloalonso.es
collaboration: carlos bóveda, arquitecto. juan a. pérez valcárcel, dr. arquitecto. cálculo de estructuras.
promotion: concello de ribadeo.     ministerio de medio ambiente, medio rural y marino.
construction: dragados. delegado vicente delgado. jefe de obra, antón laxe
photography: santos diez / bisimages
materials: concrete, steel, stone