At the intersection between sea and land, the proposal attempts to embody the idea of community, occupying the equilibrium of work and leisure, through sensitive infrastructure. The Alicante Congress Center emerges as a linear building, juxtaposing the immense horizontality between sky and sea. The proposal’s impulsion for inclusivity and community is first realised through specific urban strategies. The edge is liberated, opening it up to its surroundings. A perimeter circulation is generated through walkways that extend over the water. The approach to Center begins in a large public square, an avenue that widens upon arrival, and is shaded by vegetation. An open-to-sky amphitheatre caters to public events and the garden invites occupants to rest and introspect.

The proposal continues to negotiate publicness through the tectonics of its architecture. The building’s functions are organised linearly. Functional volumes are distributed between solids and voids with a perimeter circulation. The steel frame of the superstructure extends to the east from the square and frames the entrance to the public space. This leads to a double-height lobby. Sense of street and continuity with the sea is maintained by a ramp invites that leads to the open exhibition spaces on the ground floor. The linearity is interspersed with green areas open to the sky and blind cores that house closed functions such as toilets. Despite the repetitive structure of the building, the character of the spaces vary as one walks along its length, changing from a street to courtyards, open ramps, aerial corridors and double volumes that open up views to the sea. The courtyards also provide access via sculptural stairs to the auditorium as well as to different office spaces. The western edge of the public space is thickly tree-lined to create a natural buffer between the sea.

The structure is ordered through Vierendeel beams that are modulated in a 5x5m mesh and repeat longitudinally every 7.5m. Large laminated and cross-laminated timber frames make up the interior programs. External steel stairs on the north façade add dynamism and help reinforce the diagonal steel structure. This allows direct access to the upper floors from the outside, and doubles as requisite fire exits.

Crafted from galvanised steel, it is designed to resist the onslaught of the harsh marine environment. The facade of the building comprises clear glass and a textile envelope. This is complemented by a vegetation layer optimally configured to take advantage of the saw-tooth effect on its southeast facade while seeking a sun-shading effect on the northwest slope. Together, they create a bioclimatic ecosystem capable of controlling the internal climate and minimising energy expenditure. Solar controls incorporate heat recovery and natural induction ventilation systems. Ventilation is further facilitated by the separation between this skin and the frames.

The system’s total transparency, mutability and capacity for transformation render boundaries with a nebulous quality. At night, the transparent façade appears as a lantern, an ethereal object, floating above the city. The city’s edge is transformed into a interface for exchange, transmission and vitality.