Situated in the west side of the province of Zaragoza, the town of Illueca is the capital of the Aranda region, one of the least populated areas in Aragon. As a measure to generate leisurely activities and avoid depopulation, the city council called for a contest of ideas for a new scenic space, on the site that occupied the old cinema.
Integrating the area required by the new auditorium into the fabric of the old town has been the main aim of the project. Due to the small scale, the structure broken down into four fragments, with a gable roof, different heights, and orientations. These four pieces consist of the stage box, the stalls, the lobby, and the service area. This fragmentation reduces the scale
of the new structure and creates a series of staggered volumes, all of which establish a point of reference for the preexisting domestic buildings. Their varied juxtaposition within the historical residential plot provides relief from the irregularity of the place.
As a conceived performance space, the functional aspects of the auditorium require great versatility to offer a wide range of cultural and social programs, including film screenings, musical activities, and all kinds of scenic uses. The building is organized around the main hall, with a capacity for 224 spectators.
The materialization of the project is accomplished through red klinker brick walls – topped by copper roofs – evoking the ancient pottery tradition of the area and integrating the building with the reddish tones of the surrounding buildings. In the interior the light filters through ceramic lattices, windows, and skylights, creating a characteristic interior atmosphere while at the same time evolving throughout the day. In the interior corridor, the various wooden carpentries offer framed views of fragments of the historic centre. At night, the light coming from the building, especially from the porch-lattice surrounding the lobby, declares itself as a scenic addition to the landscape.
