Marina Barcelona Forum 2004

A marina should be memorable for its activity rather than for its form. Hence the clarity of its forms but also the soft curves of its limits in floor plan and section; hence also the attention to night lighting. The process began with the design of a series of commercial constructions without façades produced by tectonic manipulation of the site. The roofs of the commercial premises were turned into public space, prime vantage points overlooking the harbour. A few premises were built on the waterfront to expand the commercial and spatial potential of the public marina space. The use of materials also reflects some restraint: the street furniture is simplified to the maximum; a single element provides a range of functions: lighting, seating, railing, table and housing for ventilation ducts, and port architecture uses concrete in generous, sweeping gestures. The weathering Cor-ten steel suggests the image of a great ship washed up on the shore after a storm.