We begin the review of the winners from the 10th PORCELANOSA Grupo Awards for Architecture and Interior Design, focusing on the Completed Projects, whose award went to Jose Manuel Sanz Arquitectos. The innovation and uniqueness of the design stands out: the new tourist information kiosks in the city of Madrid in which revolutionary materials such as KRION® from the PORCELANOSA Grupo® have been used. This intensifies the avant-garde design and versatility in the spaces where it is installed.
The Project
The goal of this project was the sharing of cultural values in the city of Madrid, and also offering a public service to the citizens. For this, the José Manuel Sanz Architect studio designed an accessible and very recognisable urban piece that could be adapted to very different urban spaces. These innovative tourist information kiosks were placed in five strategic locations around the capital: in the Plaza de Callao, in the Paseo de Recoletos, at the Museo del Prado, at the Museo Reina Sofía, and in the Paseo de la Castellana.
To improve this recognition by the citizen, the kiosks acquired an original form, with special interest in the shade which is generated by them. In this sense, the kiosk covering rotates in relation to its own structure to generate greater protection against the sun and the rain, especially at the customer service points; providing hierarchy to some areas over others.
The Design and the Materials
The new tourist information kiosk in Madrid presents three points of focus generated by the design from the Jose Manuel Sanz Arquitectos studio through concave spaces which offer a special welcome to visitors. These are materialised in a single counter-cabinet that solves all the operational needs of the kiosk. The KRION® Solid Surface compact mineral from the PORCELANOSA Grupo has been the material selected for the implementation of this element. This protects, at the same time, the wooden furniture and it serves as a tourist desk, as well as a storage space. Due to its versatility and infinite performance, the KRION® acrylic stone allows for, even if manufactured in different pieces to facilitate transport, the resulting counter being a single piece assembled by grouting and sanding in situ. In this way, a joint that is imperceptible to the eye is obtained. In addition, KRION® guarantees strength, quality and durability, as well as easy maintenance, making it suitable for an urban project of this kind.
Outdoors, an extra clear laminated glass facade with anti-caloric treatment, along with a fiberglass covering can be seen.
The Jose Manuel Sanz Arquitectos architectural studio has tried, first and foremost, to conceive a design which would provide visual lightness and transparency in relation to the environment. A design where the outdoor view would allow for passing through it without interrupting the urban space. In short, an accessible and visually open room which transmits openness and warmth to tourists, while the informers are apparently immersed in the heart of the city.
Project carried out by: José Manuel Sanz Sanz, Irene Brea Martínez, Leticia Llansó García, Luisa Santamaría Gallardo, Jaime Sanz de Haro y Javier Vila Navarro. José Manuel Sanz Arquitectos.
