CEMUBE

CEMUBE is a multifunctional building designed to host cultural activities. Its central open space is highly versatile; it can be configured in different ways depending on how its boundary elements are arranged: an extendable stage, an operable facade with sectional doors and two other sides permeable to pedestrian flow. It is an architecture capable of adjusting its character between introverted and extroverted: it can close off for activities requiring total control of lighting and acoustics, or open up to create a covered plaza that integrates the adjacent outdoor spaces. Intermediate configurations are also possible. Additionally, the dressing rooms and stage have independent access and a loading dock, allowing new productions to be prepared without interfering with the simultaneous use of the room.

The building is located in an unstructured urban environment, in a growing area of the municipality that still lacks a defined character. CEMUBE helps to define an identity for the place, provides a strong visual presence, and, due to its function, attracts people to participate in cultural activities. Its architecture develops two strategies of relationship with the environment: it opens towards the consolidated urban area and generates a rhythm of openings towards the exterior of the municipality, to control the transition between the domestic scale of the street and the territorial scale of its volume, which stands out from a distance. Its floorplan is attached to the southern edge of the plot, creating a buffer area of public space near the urban core, protected from excessive sunlight in summer and from the prevailing winds in winter.

The interior and exterior forms of CEMUBE follow different logics. The interior is designed based on the sound system of the room, adopting a broken geometry and using acoustic materials on walls and ceilings to evenly distribute sound. Meanwhile, the exterior  is presented as an orderly prism of prefabricated exposed concrete panels, perforated by openings with black frames and fixture areas covered with aluminum slats. There is, however, a material connection between the interior and exterior. The concrete flooring creates a sense of continuity when the main facade of the building is opened.