WATER & BOOKS
Design Studio Project
Girardo Caballero, Instructor
Washington University - Barcelona, Spain
An urban infill project based on the juxtaposition of two opposing programmatic functions: a swimming pool and a library. This concrete and glass structure explores the relationships of light and texture on interior spaces.
Visual connections across functional boundaries and screening fenestration are the defining characteristics of this project. The physical form and interior corridors are generated from the existing city grid, providing continuous pathways through and around the structure.
The central light well filters light carefully into the space, allowing it to bounce off of the water and create rhythmic shadows on the smooth walls. As the incline of the pool surges upward, a forest of columns creates a shaded exterior plaza and area of respite for busy citizens and tourists.