杜罗瞭望台丨Hollegha Arquitectos

Firm： Hollegha Arquitectos

Type： Transport + Infrastructure › Bridge

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2022

SIZE： 0 sqft - 1000 sqft

BUDGET： $100K - 500K

The biggest challenge of the project was the structural solution of the cantilever platform. The old lookout was set up on a slightly fissured mass of rock resting on an inclined plane. For this reason, our approach was based on a counterweight buried in the solid terrain in order to relieve the less stable rock area.

Due to its length of 12.8m and the location on the precipice, the platform offers completely new perspectives for landscape and bird watch, and the view of the famous hydroelectric station of Aldeadávila is spectacular. At its furthest point there is an opening covered with a steel grating that allows a vertical view over the cliff.

The railing serves as a lateral bridge for the two beams which, together with the floor slab, form the structure of the cantilever. The result is an elegant and efficient structure whose cross-section corresponds to the actual load at every single point. The constructive details follow the principle of minimum weight and maximum utilization, taking into account the complexity of the terrain. With the projecting platform as the only visible element, the intrusion into the landscape is reduced to a minimum.

Corten steel not only blends perfectly into the landscape in terms of colour, but is also considered an extremely sustainable building materials due to its closed life cycle. It is 100% recyclable without any loss of quality and is therefore completely waste-free. The omission of surface protection not only reduces the costs considerably, but also guarantees the absence of harmful substances. The extreme limitation of materials and their clean separation at every stage of the process are important factors in the sustainability of the project.

The building is a result of a very careful process of adapting the original design to both environmental requirements and building codes. The 6% slope of the platform allows easy access for people with reduced mobility.

Images :Fundación Patrimonio Natural de Castilla y León, Hollegha arquitectos