International Apartments

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Civil architecture · Year: 1965 · Authors: Félix Juan Bordes, Agustín Juárez

The siliceous-limestone white brick, the Riga pine wood of the shutters, and the base of black slabs are the materials that define the character of this building, which presents a wide curved façade onto a small square giving access to the residential neighbourhood of Ciudad Jardín. The setback of the curved façade outside the longitudinal traffic route allows the survival of several palm trees that surround it with a tropical atmosphere, the building being perceived through the crowns and remaining behind, its horizontal silhouette marked by the intense cast shadows defined by the continuous bodies of planters. This flow of horizontal shadows is also emphasised by the marked joint of the course of siliceous-limestone bricks that make up the vertical walls.

It remains in good condition although the white colour that characterised it has been modified. The 10x10 cm matte white stoneware pieces that covered the courses of the planters have also been removed. Its current colour is yellowish ochre, which softens the original value of the cast shadows.

The top floor only occupies a third of the typical floor, but that area is arranged overlooking the curved façade of which it forms part, extending towards the sides to cover more length, as the pillars of the extreme bays collaborate in supporting the roof, generating two concrete pergolas that help define the curved piece.

The floor plan is a direct consequence of applying setbacks to boundaries and the morphology of the plot, overlooking the roundabout. Access is via the side street, through a small canopy that emerges from the apartment block running parallel to the party wall.

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