(Unrealized project)

In all our projects, we strive to make the most of the uniqueness of the place, so that the building we envision could only be explained in that particular location and would, therefore, be unrepeatable. When observing aerial photographs of the area around the ruined Teatro Cervantes, what did we see? A rectangle within the layout of a stunning historic center; boxed in, almost devoid of street-facing façade, but with one side overlooking the beautiful courtyard that it shared with the spectacular Casa de los Picos. On the other side, it rested against the impressive city wall –a wall that extended far beyond, crossed the legendary aqueduct, and became a hallmark of such a beautiful city.

Our project took advantage of this unique location in three distinct ways:

1. It used the courtyard as a visual extension of the hall and as a source of filtered light. The hall would inevitably be narrow, but by opening it to the courtyard with a large window, we could make it visually much more spacious and luminous. The orientation of this window was practically north, so we would receive constant, nuanced light.

2. It took advantage of its strategic location by making the roof accessible to visitors. We could imagine the impressive panorama visible from this elevated square –from the heart of the historic city to the surrounding countryside, with the strict geometry of the aqueduct cutting through the landscape like a stiletto.

3. It used the city wall as a defining element, both from the outside and from the inside. In the ruined Teatro Cervantes, we were not aware that one of its sides was directly supported by the city wall. It was a shame, so we proposed rediscovering this monumental wall –both for the portion of its exterior, which the houses that had been attached to it still left visible, and for its entire interior face. In this way we created a hall unique in the world, where one of its sides was a centuries-old work in its original state: with large stone blocks on display, its upper walkway, and battlements.

The roof of the hall floated freely above the wall, without touching it. Between them, a glass fissure allowed a narrow ray of sunlight to enter during the day, and at night it backlit the distinctive crest of the wall.

We managed to extend Segovia's city wall by about 70 meters and we made it reach one of the gates of the ancient city.