TOWN HALL AND MIGUEL DELIBES PRIMARY SHOOL. SOTORRIBAS. (CUENCA)

These two buildings were designed and built in successive phases over an extended period of time, the Town Hall being a direct commission from the mayor at the time – a teacher, friend, and well-cultured person to whom I owe many of my projects in the province.

The multi-purpose Town Hall houses not only the administrative functions typical of any municipal building, but also a small museum with an archive, library, and a firefighters’ garage.

The structure is integrated into the town as if it were just another stone-walled, lime rendered building, yet its architectural language differs from that of the local vernacular.

Its main façade looks onto a small square, where a creeping plant, a long bench, and a tree create an inviting outdoor space designed for rest and conversation.

The main school building replaced the old village school and was designed with the shape of the local church in mind. A taller entrance hall leads on to a lower, elongated block resembling a nave and containing a double-height corridor that provides useful space as well as access to the classrooms while connecting to a south-facing porch.

A small multi-purpose facility was subsequently added to meet various community needs.

The multi-use centre, located opposite the school entrance, looks like an unopened box made of coloured concrete, resting on white glazed brick walls.

However, on the inside it benefits from two types of lighting. One from the generous openings on the north and south end walls that provide a balance of daylight from both ends, and another from the smaller openings on the east and west façades that create a dynamic play of light that moves through the space as the day progresses.

Slender, coloured steel supporting columns, set at varying angles, bring a dynamic appearance to a covered pedestrian walkway that links the two buildings and serves as a porch, entrance route and backdrop to the original building.