Service Building at the Marina of Barbate, Cádiz

The port of Barbate, a few miles from Cape Trafalgar, is the nearest sheltered point in the coast near the western side of the Strait of Gibraltar, and anchorage area prior to pass of the strait. In the western side of the port is situated the nautical-sports area, based on docks that protect the sea current to the port. To support the nautical activities, a building was built to accommodate services and complementary facilities. The two-story building is located next to the entrance, on a pier which is also located the building of the captaincy (main building to control operations in the port). With a length of 56.55 m and a depth of 15.95 m, occupies a site on the central axis of the dock, just between the building of captaincy (25 m) and parking lot. In the main part of the building, locals are located for complementary uses with their own spaces for organization, and another local for nautical supplies. A core between the two areas, with the stairs to the top floor, lift, facilities and general services has entrances on both sides of the building facades. Upstairs, locals have terraces with different orientations to see activity in the marina, breakwater and docks, the entrance for boats and the eastern port. The nature of port facilities, materials and construction systems of protection and containment, and the absence alignments to a road, offers the possibility of raising new prospects for port building. The large amount of light received the diverse and vast distances and angles from to observe, provide a distinguished repertoire of scales and a very particular constructive nature. The construction, materials and layout, place and show us about the marine influence and winds to which the place, the building is subjected. The receipt, the opened soul and the gazes offers us new perspectives to the harbor, sea and landscape. The general structure of the building is resolved with larger-scale elements, and allows perceiving from afar, absorbing the smaller scales inside. The construction of the building is conducted through a concrete structure of one piece, seamless, which represents the overall scale, and carpentry steel, aluminum and glass which delimit spaces use, provide a scheme for the nearest point of view.