Proving public infrastructure can create art, this outdoor passenger terminal in Spain uses modularity and spatial exploration to create an aesthetic form. The design pays homage to the sea, featuring a blue mosaic and an abundance of natural light peeping through to the floor, mimicking the undersea experience.
Text description provided by the architects. Faced with the challenge of an unpredictable future marked by rapid change, where needs shift quickly, we propose an architecture capable of evolving over time, allowing expansions, transformations, or reductions to adapt to new demands without losing its architectural qualities. It should even allow for simple and cost-effective dismantling if necessary.
Perhaps, rather than pursuing traditional, heavy and eternal architecture, sustainability and current demands call for lightweight, modular architecture that facilitates future adaptations and aligns with modern production methods—no longer reliant on increasingly scarce traditional construction but on industrialised processes.
image3
In this context, the Tarragona Public Passenger Terminal explores modularity and off-site industrialized construction. However, instead of resorting to the conventional stacking of rectangular boxes, it proposes complex geometries inspired by tradition and the mathematics of plane tessellation. These non-orthogonal geometries enhance passenger flow and enable spatial explorations that create a sculptural identity linked to Mediterranean architectural heritage.
The proposed geometry also represents a triumph of organic underwater forms over the rigidity typical of concrete port infrastructure. The large scale of cruise ships offers passengers an aerial perspective, turning the roof into the building’s main façade. A unique grid reveals the interior geometry of irregular pentagons, all identical, crowned by large skylights evoking mollusk shapes.
This design nods to Mediterranean traditions, from Roman mosaics to Modernist trencadís. The architecture unpretentiously reflects the essence of an economical and sustainable construction. Inside, the dynamic geometry is mirrored in the exposed metal ceiling structures, reminiscent of historic Catalan markets. Natural light is designed to suggest an underwater landscape, creating a pleasant atmosphere that transforms transit into an enjoyable experience.
The lightness of a structure can be an indicator of its sustainability. The amount of mass mobilized reflects the use of material and energy resources. In this case, the building’s weight is especially critical due to the limited load-bearing capacity of the artificial dock reclaimed from the sea. A traditionally constructed building could not be anchored in this soil layer due to its weight, requiring piles over 25 meters long to reach the seabed. The lightweight construction allowed for shallow foundations—a more sustainable solution both economically and environmentally. Never has Fuller’s question to Foster about a building’s weight been more pertinent.
This lightness, along with its off-site industrialized construction, contributes to environmental achievements: a 55% reduction in waste, 60% in CO₂ emissions, and 80% in water consumption compared to traditional construction averages. It is easily expandable, dismantlable, relocatable, and recyclable, with an energy rating of "A." Moreover, its execution was completed in record time, minimizing the uneconomical occupation of the dock, disruptions to citizens, and environmental impact.
The modular industrialised construction, carried out in Almería, allowed most of the work to be finished in under 10 months, ensuring reliability and quality by avoiding the unpredictability and chaos of traditional construction, which relies on artisanal methods amid a shortage of skilled labor. Ultimately, the building is an adaptive architecture designed to meet today’s needs.
Tarragona Public Passenger Terminal
LOCATION Tarragona, Spain
ARCHITECT Hombre de Piedra Arquitectos
PHOTOGRAPHY Simón García
