January 10, 2024 | Updated: January 11, 2024
The new LaFinca Grand Café high-end shopping centre in Pozuelo de Alarcón (Madrid) opened in September 2023. One of Grupo LaFinca’s star projects, boasting PORCELANOSA Group materials on the building envelope.
“Beauty and harmony”. That’s how Raquel Castellanos, director of LaFinca Group’s architecture and design studio, defines it. A new space destined to be a leading leisure hotspot in the Spanish capital. 40,000 square metres, distributed across three levels, plus a rooftop, and two floors of sustainable, tech-driven parking areas.
LaFinca Grand Café is much more than a shopping centre. Health, beauty, fun and cuisine meet in a building with a unique design. Credit for the external structure, integrated perfectly with its surroundings, goes to architecture studio LaFinca A+D. The system, developed by Butech’s façade department, blends Krion® and glass, affording views to the outdoors from within.
“At the studio we’re acutely aware that when it comes to our projects, well-chosen materials are key, becoming the protagonists of the whole. And this was the case for the LaFinca Grand Café project. With Krion®, your imagination knows no bounds; achieve perfect edges, double curves – some almost impossible to trace – and, of course, a perfect sense of visual continuity. Evoking the movement of ribbons, the façades are intertwined with sinuous architectural bands that wrap around the building. There’s no doubt about it: Krion® was tailor-made for our project. Our greatest ally”, Castellanos confirms.
A key challenge for LaFinca Grand Café was to integrate this new space into its surroundings. As though it were a sculpture. In this sense, working collaboratively with the Butech team was key to the successful implementation of the project. “We were able to achieve the sculptural character we wanted to give the building thanks to the merits of Krion®. What’s more, the purity of the white enhanced the effect we wanted to achieve further still”, says Raquel Castellanos.
The LaFinca A+D architecture and design team used Butech’s C-Bolt system for the 2,900-square metre façade. This system uses a set of concealed staples to fix the Krion® sheets to the main structure. Nor does the surface require sanding afterwards.
As for the exterior finish, the director of Grupo LaFinca’s architecture and design studio claims that: “we incorporated Krion® because it’s the ideal material for a building with these characteristics: a timeless material that stands the test of time. A fundamental premise to take into account in our building’s life. Guaranteeing easy maintenance, quick and imperceptible repairs, easy cleaning, etc.”.
The interior design of LaFinca Grand Café takes inspiration from town and city squares. Spaces where you can enjoy a stroll, find activities to do or simply relax on the terrace with a drink.
The external structure and large picture windows flood the large central ‘agora’ with natural light. a mixed-use rentable area spanning 10,000 m2 and three levels, with premises for leisure, health, beauty and food. A traditional concept breathed into a new construction in an innovative, avant-garde way.
LaFinca Grand Café’s solid commitment to quality cuisine is a particular highlight. The new shopping centre boasts restaurants offering a range of international cuisines. A development destined for culinary success; a gourmet destination with an international reach.
The team – led by Raquel Castellanos – wanted the finishes to represent a continuity of the LaFinca development and layout concept: to create a public space that feels like home. A concept in which nature and water are essential elements. “It has many features reminiscent of a home: the bathrooms, ceilings, corners, entrance doors, lighting, etc.”, says the architect.
Another major aim of the LaFinca Grand Café design was to create a space in which sustainability and innovation go hand-in-hand. Various unseen elements improve the management of the building, including consumption monitoring, fault detection, light intensity controls in different areas and state-of-the-art smart features.
LaFinca Grand Café is BREEAM certified, acknowledging its responsible construction and efficient design. This recognition covers processes including waste management and the installation of sustainable, efficient materials that reduce the carbon footprint. Used for the entire exterior façade, the Krion® solid surface plays a fundamental role.
They also paid close attention to water consumption, optimising use across all the interior bathrooms (made with PORCELANOSA Group materials) on every floor. Similarly, a meticulous approach was taken to greening the exterior of the building, with a predominance of native plants species requiring minimal watering.
Plus, Finca Grand Café is a pet-friendly space. A large shopping centre boasting a veterinary clinic and pet-friendly spaces.
Promoter: LAFINCA Real Estate
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