Pontevedra Water Supply / Padilla Nicás Arquitectos

Architects: Padilla Nicás Arquitectos
Location: Pontevedra, Spain
Authors Architects: Francisco José Padilla, Juan Manuel Nicás Caballero
Project Year: 2016
Photographs: Mariela Apollonio

Collaborating Architect: Alfonso López
Director Of Works: César Prieto García
Construction Companies: UTE Vías y Construcciones S.A. – Técnicas de Desalinización de Aguas, S.A.
Promoter: ACUAES + Comunidad de Galicia

From the architect. Monteporreiro is a natural place next to the river Lérez, few kilometers from the city of Pontevedra. In this place, there is a catchment and pumping of water from the river for urban supply. The increase in population to be supplied necessitates the expansion of the capacity of the aforementioned collection and pumping station, maintaining its position along the river.

The increase in capacity is achieved by means of new pumps whose height in both use (lowering) and maintenance (high) must be covered by the new building, which determines the minimum height of the same. This is the first condition of the project. The second condition is the need to ensure a minimum ventilation surface to the interior to ensure the salubrity of the jobs that are developed. The third condition is that the construction has to be done with precast concrete up to 120cm high.

The project poses a simple solution to the three conditions: prefabricated units reach the minimum height necessary for the operation and maintenance of the pumps and are gradually separated from each other until the necessary ventilation surface is reached, as well as the “gravity” of the final volume. Two metal fronts, like gates, complete the needs of the program. It is thus formalized as a large abstract element that is only related to the light metallic bridge in the vicinity; unique elements built in the leafy and thick vegetation on the banks of the river.