Zaragoza’s Solar-Powered Spanish Pavilion is Shielded by a Ceramic Forest

Rising like a poplar forest from the banks of the Ebro river, <a href="http://www.fmangado.com/">Francisco "Patxi" Mangado</a>'s sustainably built Spanish Pavilion boasts a brilliant brise soleil composed of <b>750</b> ceramic pillars. This field of pillars shelters the interior spaces from the strong Spanish sun, while a pond at the building's base creates a temperate <a href="http://inhabitat.com/3d-printed-sand-pods-create-cooling-microclimates/">microclimate</a> that is 3°C cooler than the surrounding area. Drawing upon these roots, the building blossoms with an impressive bouquet of green building strategies ranging from locally sourced <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/materials">sustainable materials</a> to a rainwater recycling system and a massive <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=222550">photovoltaic array</a> set at the pavilion's peak. We recently had a chance check out this incredible building during <a href="http://www.ascer.es/">Tile of Spain</a>'s <a href="http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23reigninspain">Reign in Spain</a> tour - read on for an exclusive look inside!

The pavilion's most striking feature is its staggered ceramic <a href="http://inhabitat.com/wave-shaped-aragon-convention-center-is-flooded-with-daylight/">brise soleil</a> composed of specially designed <a href="http://www.decorativa.es/">Decorativa</a> <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=222556">tiles</a>, which shield the building's glass façade from the intense Spanish sun.

The form and function of these pillars was inspired by the historic use of ceramics in the surrounding Aragon region - there is not much wood available for building in the area, and not much local stone other than alabaster, which is too soft to use as a building material.

<a href="http://www.fmangado.com/">Mangado</a>'s choice to showcase this material makes a lot of sense, as ceramics are durable, locally sourced building materials that do not deteriorate or change color when exposed to sunlight.

The Spanish Pavilion offers 8,000 square meters of space, and its interior is outfitted with a wide array of green features - including <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=222553">cork ceilings</a> and low-energy lighting.

Spanish tile manufacturer Decorativa worked with Mangado to design a set of terra-cotta tiles specifically for the project.

The interior of the pavilion is bathed in daylight yet protected from direct solar exposure by its ceramic brise soleil.

The building's roof features a <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=222545">system of drains</a> that recycle rainwater.

A massive photovoltaic array capitalizes on the region's abundance of sunlight.

A smart <a href="http://inhabitat.com/?attachment_id=222547">energy management system</a> keeps track of the building's temperature as well as its electricity and water consumption.

The <a href="http://www.expozaragoza2008.es/">2008 Zaragoza Expo</a> was a tremendous success as hundreds of pavilions, parades, and events drew thousands of visitors each day.

Each of the expo's pavilions was designed to be purchased and reused after the expo, however the economic crisis hit Spain hard and the country's unemployment rate has risen from 5% to 20% over the past few years.

As a result, many of the pavilions currently stand empty and are in various states of renovation - a postmodern ghost town with an uncertain future.

Fortunately, Mangado's Spanish Pavilion has a brighter future than some of the other blighted structures - it is currently being renovated to house Spain's <a href="http://www.cener.com/en/index.asp">National Renewable Energy Center (CENER)</a>.