The port of La Savina is the main entrance to the island of Formentera. Its geographical position gives it a unique attraction, since it is the border between an urban area, the Mediterranean Sea and a salt water pond that is part of the SesSalines Natural Park. The protection of the open sea has led it to being used as a natural port which houses the sailing school
Sailing school in Formentera. Lamellar and tensile structures frame the bay
The Spanish architect MariàCastelló designed the Formentera Water Sports Center project starting from the connection between the Mediterranean Sea and the pond of the SesSalines Natural Park. Two volumes overlook the bay following its natural conformation
The project, which is developed in two independent aligned volumes, was intended to respond to two distinct functions: classrooms, offices and changing rooms. At the intersection the buildings create a void whose visual permeability also involves the main access Between the two volumes described, there is a shading geometry structure that also functions as a node The volumes are mostly opaque, hard and shallow. On its southern side, however, the building is aligned generating a large platform that joins the two volumes and enters the pond by metres like a wharf
Through the use of a single material, a lightweight, dry built, low environmental impact building was erected. Similar to the cabins that were traditionally found on the coast of the island, wood is the material of choice, displayed in different sizes and varieties, depending on the needs. A harmony that continues in the choice of pine staves that over time will assume a characteristic grey patina
The quay uses the traditional technique of submerged wooden piles below sea level, while the external platform is suspended on a minimal, prefabricated and reversible base mounted on surface micropiles. Based on the green building criteria, a reduced range of materials, mainly of natural origin, free of PVC and other potentially harmful synthetic materials has been chosen. This was reversed into hygroscopic and water vapour permeable envelopes, which are energy efficient and maintain a healthy indoor environment
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