The architecture of Aragonia reflects the program’s complexity: apartments, offices, hotel, shopping center, supermarkets, movie theater, parking lots, etc. It was decided that these different uses would manifest themselves in a volumetric scheme where glazed ceramic would provide a sense of continuity. The parking lot can be considered the complex’s authentic dimensional mold as it established the structural scheme common to all of the buildings: an 8.40 x 8.40 meter module. In spite of this regularity, Aragonia gives a picture of diversity and freedom, allowing pedestrians to walk underneath its volumes towards one of the two leafy parks flanking the complex. The architect’s intention was to create the social hub of a large area that had been lacking in public spaces whilst preventing such a large-scale intervention from becoming authoritarian and imperious. The difficulty of this project is clear when one studies the floor plans and sections
Zaragoza, Spain
Junta de Compensación Polígono Universidad de Zaragoza
Parking, Comercial Area, Cinema, Hotel, Office and Housing,
Rafael Moneo
Project Architect: Alicia de Otegui
Project team:
Alberto Roca Obere (Project Manager)
Fernando Iznaola (Architect)
Sumac Cáceres (Architect)
Pablo Lopez (Architect)
Brezo Alcoceba (Architect)
Angel Huertas (Architect)
Julie Kaufman (Architect)
On site:
David Campo (Architect)
Goretti Pila (Architect)
Javier Pac (Architect)
Sixto Marín (Architect)
Structural engineer: NB35 - Jesús Jiménez Cañas
Mechanical Engineer: Ineco 98 - Juan Mazón y Maria Jesús Marqueta
Dragados y others
160.000.000 €
194.000 m2
Preliminary design: Febrero de 2003
Working drawings: Julio de 2003
Permission: Julio de 2003
Construction start: Septiembre de 2005
Opening: Septiembre de 2009 – Octubre 2012
© Duccio Malagamba
