César Portela Acuario Vilagarcía de Arousa

The Galician coastline is a constant dialectic between land and sea that becomes paradigmatic in the Rías Bajas, especially Arousa. This building was constructed deep in this estuary, as part of the promenade that links the ports of Vilagarcía and Carril. The construction lies perpendicular to the coast, dipping into the sea. Its elongated silhouette and classic image are intended to partly counteract the disturbing visual effect of a nearby apartment building, which has created a type of screen with a negative presence because of its poor quality and its height. This building has one floor and a half-floor, both rectangular, narrow and elongated, with a pitched roof resting on circular pillars to avoid hindering the movement of the sea. The spatial organisation runs along two axes: one horizontal, which provides views of the sea from the land through the building itself, and one vertical, which affords views of both the sea and the sky. The main material used is reinforced concrete, yielding a sturdy, monolithic structure that can stand up to the harsh environment in which it stands.