Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre Tower

Avilés, Asturias

Structural typology: SPECIAL BUILDINGS
Date: June, 2010
Owner: Principado de Asturias
Scope: detailed design and construction support
Architect: Oscar Niemeyer

The Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center is the only work that the centenarian Brazilian architect has in Spain and is the most important of those fulfilled in Europe. It is situated on the Isla de la Innovación on the Ría de Avilés in Asturias and consists of five buildings: the Auditorium, the Museum, the Tower-Observation Deck, the Car Park and the multi-use Building, all of which are connected by a marquee or canopy.

The Tower Observation Deck overlooks the river, allowing one to contemplate the wonderful surroundings of the architectural Works designed by Oscar Niemeyer. A 4.70m diameter reinforced concrete circular shaft raises its two floors, 20.0m above the central square. The circular lower level, which covers a 400m2 surface area, is destined to a Restaurant-Cocktail bar and a kitchen. To reach this level there is a lift inside the concrete core and an external reinforced concrete spiral staircase. The upper or roof level has the same dimensions and shape, and is only accessible for maintenance purposes and houses the installations and air extraction equipment.

Structurally, the lower level slab is executed with 30cm thick reinforced concrete solid slabs and hangs from the roof via 22 high resistance steel hangers. The hangers are covered in spun glass to comply with the specifications against possible fire in the Technical Building Code, but at the same time leaving the minimum cover diameter so as to leave patent the structural objective of the hanging element from the roof slab.

Said roof is composed of a grid of four 0.70m wide reinforced concrete beams, which taper inwards from 0.80m at the edges to 2.75m at the center supported atop the central core and with a 20cm thick solid slab.



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