Here are some images of a water tower in Spain by Spanish architects Ignacio Mendaro Corsini, Ignacio Isasi Zaragozá and Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez, which bears an uncanny resemblance to the female form. 

Two water tanks, each with a 40m³ capacity, sit atop a two-legged steel structure to form the 22-metre water storage tower, which supplies an entire town without the need for pumps.

A wooden platform sits right at the top of the structure and provides access for maintenance.

Photographs are by Lluís Casals.

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The following information is from the architects:

WATER STORAGE IN GUIJO DE CORIA, CÁCERES

The amphora is a ceramic container of great size with two handles, narrowing to a point at one end. An object much used by the Greeks and Romans for keeping solid and liquid foodstuffs, it was decorated with black figures. During the Panathenaic festivals, amphoras full of oil were given to the victorious athletes. This was not only a container but also an ancient measure of volume equivalent to 26.21 liters.

What would be the scale, the material, the form, and the fashion in which to construct this grand “amphora” of the 21st century? We needed to design a water tower with a height of 22 m to supply the entire town with water without needing pumps, as well as a way to go up to the tank for maintenance. Our primary objective was to develop a clear form with nothing gratuitous in concrete for an elevated tank of 50 m³ high and a buried tank of 150 m³. This new form would become, together with the church bell tower, the only towers in the town.

We wanted to create in the proposed landscape a road which connected the two highest points. We then started to think about making a divided tank of already-existing elements. Our point of de parture had to be studying those tanks that we were accustomed to seeing on reservoir trucks, on which there is always a notification of what they contain and their volumetric capacity. In addition, at that time a hydraulic study was done and it was determined that the buried tank was of a size that an elevated tank of 80 m³ capacity was needed.

Why not divide the tank into prefabricated units? We worked to find the best form for a structure that could reach 22 m of height and also support the weight of two tanks, each of 40 m³ capacity. We had at the moment two materials that defined the new water tower; the galvanized steel that would form the structure and the stainless steel that would make up the exterior finish of the two tanks.

We chose wood to form the stairs and platform necessary for the maintenance of the water tower, the platform for the valves, and the bed underneath these two elements. We completed and gave the project form in this way.

Project Data

Architects: Ignacio Mendaro Corsini, Ignacio Isasi Zaragozá, Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Location: Guijo de Coria. Cáceres. Spain.
Type of project: Infrastructure

Client: Regional Public Works Ministry. Autonomous Government of Extremadura, Spain.
Awarding date: 2007
Start on site date: August, 2009
Contract duration: Twelve months

Total cost: 600.000 € (VAT included)
Main contractor: Andiajoa S.L.
Metalworker: Carpintería y aluminio Hervás, S.L.
Selected subcontractors and suppliers: Lacoex

See also:

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Future Flower by Tonkin Liu	Aerogenerator X by Grimshaw and Arup	Land of Giants by Choi + Shine Architects

The post Water Storage Tower by Mendaro Corsini,
Isasi Zaragozá and Gutiérrez Rodríguez appeared first on Dezeen.

Architectural photographer Roland Halbe has sent us some images of an extension to a school in Cuenca, Spain designed by Madrid studio GRG Arquitectos.

Above and top photographs are copyright Roland Halbe

Called Hermanos Amorós Public School, the project consists of an extension to the school, which already had six separate buildings.

Above photograph is copyright Roland Halbe

The exterior walls of one part of the extension are painted bright red and feature round circular windows protruding from the facade.

Above photograph is copyright Roland Halbe

Blue metal sculptures in the shape of large donuts and a cactus have been inserted in the courtyard.

Above image is from the architects

All photographs are copyright Roland Halbe except where stated otherwise.

Above image is from the architects

Here's some more information from the architects:

The Project consists of an extension and refurbishment of “Hermanos Amorós” Public School in Las Mesas, Cuenca. Its location in Castilla La Mancha´s autonomous region it’s close to Quixote’s route. Places of “giants” and vineyard on the manchega´s plain; and a traditional white architecture that stands the strong Castilian sun.

Click for larger image

Las Mesas population is increasing and so are the towns around it. From this, comes the need to extend the original school, redistributing the existing one and expanding the scope of the original program: a new library, some multipurpose classrooms, administrative areas, etc. During the visit to the site we discovered a school divided in six pavilions of traditional architecture unconnected to one other.

Click for larger image

First of all, we considered schools buildings. Schools are meant for children; this is how the idea for a fun proposal entered our heads. We wanted to create a school to be a habitable “toy”, to be educational, functional and to meet the demands of the program. The approach to the project was to create the “seventh piece” on the existing complex.

Click for larger image

The seventh pavilion resolves the functional requirements and the interconnection around school’s program, behaves as joint organization between elementary education pavilion and high school; this new pavilion is different from the others in form, construction and colour. As we progress on the project with the “seventh piece” we realize the school requires more intervention than the scope of the competition initially required.

Click for larger image

This is how the library communicates with the new pavilion through a bridge, the external spaces are organized by new entrances into primary and high school, and a new main entrance pavilion is proposed to welcome everyone to school. The area becomes scattered with little interventions as a result of the functional solution, which contribute to increase the comfort of the educational centre.

Click for larger image

Their appearances in the school transform the existing relationship between pavilions and urbanization, creating new social-spaces; configure the entrance courtyard, the library courtyard, the playground, etc. Almost all new pieces make themselves visible to the street. Once defined the colonization system through punctual strategies, we decided new pieces to be constructed on dry joint to stand out from the traditional and existing buildings.

Click for larger image

Also, a red metallic skin as a wrapper emphasizes a more conceptual approach to the building. The architectural language selected derives from the concept of occupation of the new pavilions different from the existing ones. Although their presence contrasts with the existing structures, leads to dialogue between those new and existing buildings, making possible new and different relationships that were previously non-existing.

Click for larger image

Due to the low budget, high resistance and easily maintained materials were chosen in the interior of the building. On the other side, materials are kept simple and neutral to perceive the red skin when walking through the interior of the building. The most singular interior space is the library, a space double the high with colours not previously used, yellow on the pavement and black c on the main front.

Click for larger image

On urbanization, the design criteria is to make the minimum intervention. Just some circles on the polished concrete floor are designed to emphasize the existing acacias trees. Also, a new quince tree accentuates the main entrance to the multipurpose building and new elements of urban furniture emerge: some circle bench painted in blue in the library courtyard, to make more tranquil and a blue metallic cactus that appears in the entrance courtyard as a surrealist element.

Project Data

Architects: GRG Arquitectos - Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez + Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Location: Cuenca, Spain.
Type of project: Educational
Structural engineers: Engineering 3D3
Project architect: Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Design team: Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez, Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Collaborators: Dominica Minang Ntang, Grover Gazapa Quizpe

Funding: GICAMAN S.A.
Client: Regional Education Ministry, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain.
Tender date: 2007
Start on site date: February 2009
Contract duration: Twelve months
Gross internal floor area: 3.200 m _

Form of contract and/or procurement: Working Project and Healthy & Safety Research Assignment on the Refurbished School in Villarrubia de Santiago, Toledo.
Total cost: 3.600.000 € (VAT included)
M&E consultant: Engineering 3D3
Quantity Surveyor: Mayte Martinez Catalina (Project), Julian Calvo Chicano (Work)
Planning supervisor: Regional Education Ministry, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain

Main contractor: Banasa Construcción
Selected subcontractors and suppliers
Quality Assurance and Quality Control Inspection: ITC
Geotechnical Research: ITC
Annual CO2 emissions: 51,96 t

See also:

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Public School by GRG Arquitectos	Kindergarten by Magén Arquitectos	Infant Educational Centre by Solinas + Verd Arquitectos

The post Hermanos Amorós Public School
by GRG Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.

Architectural photographer Roland Halbe has sent us these photos of a refurbished public school in Toledo, Spain, designed by Madrid studio GRG Arquitectos.

Top and above images copyright Roland Halbe

Called Nuestra Senora del Castellar Public School, the project involved transforming the existing teachers' accommodation into a classroom, as well as building a new dining room and kitchen.

Above image copyright Roland Halbe

The architects used colour to differentiate spaces, coating the existing buildings in grey, the new volumes in white, and entrances and exits in primary colours.

Above image copyright Roland Halbe

Here's some text from GRG Arquitectos:

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“NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL CASTELLAR” PUBLIC SCHOOL´S IN VILLARRUBIA DE SANTIAGO BY GRG-ARCHITECTS

The functional purpose of the proposal was to transform the existing teacher´s housing building into a classroom, and to also to erect a new building that accomodates the new programme of dining room and kitchen.

Above image copyright Roland Halbe

As a result of the functional solution emerge three different pieces in form and function:

• First, the volume that contains the dining room and kitchen.
• The intermediate piece, of a greater size, accomodates the classrooms and wet rooms.
• The construction of the thrid piece, reinforces the idea of the other two: the new vertical communications core section shapes the north-west facade of the court yard.

Above: the building before refurbishment

As an answer to the surroundings, the school offers different solutions, aesthetically and spatially. We find them in their direct and indirect relation with the outside spaces.

A white massive wall spoted with small holes, hides the dinning room to the street.

At the same time, a slight ramp and a light stair reach the entrance level of the main floor.

On the other side, the piece of communication meets directly with the existing game yard (playground).

The white vertical wall rests on the horizontal plane of the ground with the standing out the heaviness of the wall. Its presence becomes softer by the oblique line revealing the gray drawing to the classroom.

Three volumnes, classroom, dining and communication’s element, combine together new spaces until now non-existent:

• The shed entrance to the dining room with access from the playground and the street is presented as an area of transition between game and duty.
• The light inside the dining room enters through the patio, organizes the spaces and distributes functions.
• And also two access from the courtyard, raise us to the classroom through two paths that enphasize the entrance.

At last we introduce the color. White manifests itself in the new building and in the holes of the existing windows; Gray, in the existing buildings; and Primary Colors appear in access and exit doors to the courtyard.

Its kindness lays in the search for spaces wide and luminous spaces, the balance of proportions and the care of the details definition.

Architects
GRG Arquitectos

Location
Toledo, Spain.

Type of project
Educational

Structural engineers
Engineering 3D3

Project architect
Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez

Design team
Blanca Rosa Gutiérrez Rodríguez
Natalia Gutiérrez Rodríguez

Funding
GICAMAN S.A.

Client
Toledo´s Provincial Delegation
Regional Education Ministry, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain.

Tender date
2007

Start on site date
April 2009

Contract duration
Five months

Gross internal floor area
450 m ²

Form of contract and/or procurement:
WorKing Project and Healthy & Safety Research Assignment on the Refurbished School in Villarrubia de Santiago, Toledo.

Total cost
600.000 € (VAT included)

M&E consultant
Engineering 3D3

Quantity Surveyor
Javier Rojo Ruiz

Planning supervisor
David Palacios
Toledo´s Provincial Delegation.
Regional Education Ministry, Castilla La-Mancha, Spain

Lighting supervisor
Miguel Angel Sánchez

Main contractor
Construcciones y Promociones San Luis 32, S.A.

Selected subcontractors and suppliers
Quality Assurance and Quality Control Inspection: SGS Tecnos S.A.
Geotechnical Research: Geonoc, S.A.

Annual CO2 emissions
51,96 t

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by GRG Arquitectos appeared first on Dezeen.