acme: basque culinary school

‘basque culinary school’ by acme space, san sebastián, spain all images courtesy of acme space

london-based practice acme has designed ‘basque culinary school’ in san sebastian, spain, a building that integrates itself into the site to create a learning landscape. connected by a system of ramped corridors, the rooms, lecture auditorium, and functional zones facilitate a holistic unification of the school for both the students and visitors.

view of the horizon through a courtyard

following the natural slope of the topography, the roof landscape features pockets of courtyards, a collection of geometric cutouts which provide internal transparency as well as natural daylighting for the interior. multiple views to the park and the san sebastian bay beyond harvests an atmosphere of openness and communication to the site. the terraced organization allows for a communicative interface, encouraging cross-pollination and exchange between the different programs.

view of the auditorium and the restaurant entrance

designed as a low energy building, the internal and external courtyard gardens ensure that all spaces are well ventilated. careful placement and orientation of glazes surfaces minimize south exposure to prevent the interior from overheating and glare.

view of the circulation space from the multimedia library

view of the experimental kitchen towards the restaurant

restaurant

walkway around the school

site map

roof plan

ground floor plan

longitudinal section along auditorium and restaurant

longitudinal section along courtyard

courtyards control sun exposure throughout the building

open organization of the program along the slope allows overlooking onto workshops from lecture rooms

courtyard frame views of the landscape towards the sea throughout the building