ADVANCED THERAPIES LABORATORIES BUILDING ON THE CARLOS III HEALTH INSTITUTE RESEARCH CAMPUS IN MAJADAHONDA. (MADRID).

The project was conceived as a unifying element providing continuity to the main buildings of the Campus, both functionally and formally, thus fulfilling the requirement of the complex to unite all the needs of the National Centre for Microbiology in a building continuum.

As a Centre for Advanced Therapies, the purpose of the building is to provide space for the research and production of specific medicines that subsequently contribute to further development on a larger scale through public-private cooperation.

The nature of the building called for a layout in three parallel bays to fully accommodate its functional requirements. The first bay, containing the laboratories, is connected to a second bay containing laboratory support and circulation areas, and to a third bay of multipurpose and versatile spaces that include chambers and other miscellaneous areas.

The building’s closed façades hint at its usage, since a significant portion of the activities take place in sealed working environments.

The size and shape of the building adapt both to the requirement for continuity with the rest of the buildings and to the complex topography of the available land. Accordingly, a transparent walkway connects to adjacent buildings, while the external cladding comprises sheet and perforated metal, white concrete panels and galvanized components for solar protection. This envelope matches the cladding of neighbouring buildings in line with the formal and compositional criterion of the entire complex.

The process of adjusting to the immediate surroundings involved maintaining the existing road and footpaths and lowering the level of the ground to the west. These measures ensure good accessibility for vehicular traffic supplying laboratory equipment and tools from the nearby road and allow pedestrian accesses to naturally adapt to the current road and footpath levels.