Gallery: Madrid’s Sustainable Ecopol...

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The building serves as a childcare center, a recreation center, and an open air plaza that uses layers of materials to create a unique environment. Energy savings was one of the major considerations in the project’s design. The layers of structures begin with the exterior canopy, which is stretched along a steel skeleton.

The canopy lets light in but blocks the intense sun. Below the canopy a bank of south-facing glass windows runs along the long axis of the building. Part of the canopy rolls up during cooler times of the year to provide direct sun. A concrete core contains the interior spaces, allowing light to penetrate through a series of clever light shafts (such as the staircase). Circular light tubes on the roof add extra whimsy to the already playful design. The lower floor also receives light and air from a subterranean courtyard.