KHUNSTAL, BILBAOBILBAO

The old building of Papelera del Nervión is one of 17 industrial blocks being kept under the Zorrotzaurre reformation plan along the Ribera de Deusto, Bilbao.
This building is the only dome-headed one in the area, which is why the institutions have decided to preserve its structure and turn it into the Kunsthal Higher Education Design Centre.
Those in charge of its retrofitting must keep its structure turn the interior into a large cosy diaphanous space without pillars providing warmth to counter the coldness of an industry facility from the middle of the past century. Furthermore, the project required the use of lightweight materials, so instead of resting on the radiant floor of the building, could do so with absolute safety on several flat metal sheets; in addition, to being attractive, flexible, resistant and sustainable.
ABR+ Architecture Studio decided to resort to Egoinâ??s CLT solutions which provide enormous flexibility besides offering short execution periods.

The classrooms of this 1,200m² buildings needed to have certain soundproofing properties. Egoin produced CLT panels with grooved machining capable of absorbing the sound of these spaces; and they also created some large bay windows in CLT covered with larch slats on the outside acting as viewing points.
The result is an aesthetically sustainable flagship building, where 210 m³ of timber was used in the construction, thereby preventing the emission of 210 m³ of CO2 into the atmosphere.