ARCHITECTURE

ARCHITECTURE AS A GAME, ISOZAKI IN BARCELONA

THEREIS NO DENYING THE GROWING IMPORTANCE OF JAPANESE ARCHITECTURE TODAY. IN ISOZAKI'S APPROACH TO HIS WORK IN THE WEST, HE REMAINS FAITHFUL TO HIS ORIENTALORIGINS THOUGH WITHOUT FORGETTING THE WESTERN WORLD.

PAVlllON SANT JORDI. BARCELONA. ARCHITECTURE ARCHITECTURE

PAVlLlON SANI JORDI. BARCELONA.

ven before the lnternational the construction of the INEF (National nized as the most characteristic devel- Olympic Committee chose Bar- lnstitute for Physical Educationl was as- opment in contemporary Catalan cul- celona to host the summer signed to Ricard Bofill and his Taller ture, and come across Antoni Gaudí and games of 1992, the city felt an over- d'Arquitectura, and finally, the new Pa- his student Josep M. Jujol. From Gaudí whelming need to retrieve the sports lau dlEsports was to be the work of the he has borrowed those structural and precinct for which the stadium had been architect Arata Isozaki. formal elements which leave most room for built, at the end of the twenties, as part Arata lsozaki was born in 1931 in Oita, creativity while at the same time recog- of the development of the mountain of Kyushu, in Japan. He was a favourite nizing their links with Catalan architec- Montjuic. In this way, the "Estadi" and student of Kenzo Tange, with whom he ture. lsozaki wants his work to relate to the "Palau Nacional" became the last worked on the proiects for the 1964 its location, not only by virtue of its two symbols to lose their condition of Olympic Games in Tokyo, in particular formal affinity to Catalan architecture, ephemeral architecture after the Barce- on the Sports Palace in Takamatsu, be- but mainly because he is interested in lona lnternational Exhibition of 1929 tween 1962 and 1964. combining high technology with handi- and survive to the begining of our de- Isozaki's first plans for Barcelona were crafts in those elements which stand out cade: the eighties. to be a result of this collaboration. Very for their chromatic strength or for their Following the restricted international soon new versions appeared, new de- importance in the final result and which contest for the development of the sec- signs, new ideas, gradually giving provide yet another link between east tor known as the "Anella Olímpica", or shape to a building whose roots lie in and west. Olympic Ring, the city of Barcelona Oriental culture, but which faces up to The Palau dlEsports Sant Jordi (1986- heard the judges' verdict: the restora- the challenge of the inevitable adapta- 1990), measuring almost 140 x 1 20 tion of the stadium would be the re- tion to the western world. lsozaki has metres and with a seating capacity of sponsibility of the architects Alfonso managed to achieve harmony with Ca- 17,000, comes high on the list of inter- Mila, Federico Correa, Vittorio Gregot- talan architecture. No doubt he has national architecture today, thanks to ti, Joan Margarit and Carles Buxadé; looked to Modernism, which is recog- the dome which forms the roof, and ARCHITECTURE

which was constructed using an articu- two-fold sportinglurban role, according whatever event is going on. Once lated, mobile system called Panta- to whether it is seen at night from the again, the roof of the pavilion is worth a dome. The reason I mention this roof is interior or from the exterior. special mention. Perfectly aligned along that, throughout the creative process, it Taking advantage of Isozaki's presence the perimeter, it slopes up to give the received a variety of different shapes, in Barcelona, the local authorities of Pa- principle facade the importance it de- outlines and solutions. It is worth com- lafolls, a small town near the coast serves, while taking into account its menting on the asymmetrical design in north of Barcelona, commissioned him northerly orientation. A discreet open- relation to its longitudinal axis, intended to design a sports pavilion. The result of ing at the back lights up the interior as a transposition of the outline of the this commission is a circular figure with a with rays of sunlight which are softened mountain of Montiuic, a characteristic diameter of 67.5 metres, situated in a to compensate for the heat which is in- feature of the Barcelona skyline. Other new development area. evitable in any building situated on the elements of the Palau which should be His approach to the proiect is startlingly Mediterranean coast. mentioned are the facades of the four simple. Half of the circle makes up the There is no denying the growing impor- faces, successfully completed with mo- pavilion itself, while the other half is tance of Japanese architecture today: dulated, fine-textured panels; the spa- taken up by entrances and al1 the other an architecture which aims at clarity cious vestibule, with its stained-glass elements involved in the arrival and ac- and substantiality and is essential and windows, overlooking the square which commodation of the public at a sports paradigmatic. In Isozaki's approach is to include a sophisticated sculpture by event. to his work in the west, he remains faith- Aiko Miyawaki, and from which one can Once past the doorway with its pergo- ful to his Oriental principles though appreciate the sinusoidal movement of las, we step in onto a hard floor, and without forgetting that the western the roof; the spacious dimensions for after the access to the interior, there is world can also teach him to use the the successful distribution of the public, a soft floor which warns us of the re- cards which are indispensable for a per- apart from the constellation of holes in laxation needed before following the fect game: the game of cultured architec- the dome, an interesting feature with a efforts of the athletes taking part in ture. ¤