Architecture | Losada García Studio Builds Museum, Cultural Center Inspired by Tobacco

With offices in San Diego and Cáceres, Spain, Losada García Arquitectos is a studio comprised of Alberto García Jiménez and Ramiro Losada Amor. The pair studied at Politecnico di Milano in Italy and the University Lombart Lambert in Belgium. The studio focuses on experimental architecture, teaching, and documentary work with international architects. Today we’ll talk about one of their newest projects, a shrine to sweet lady nicotine.

The studio recently completed work on the Cultural Center La Gota in Cáceres. The building, which includes a museum for tobacco, takes its inspiration from tobacco plants. It also includes an exhibition space for the painter Sofia Feliu. The studio told ArchDaily that the building, comprised of volumes that appear stacked on one another, houses exhibition spaces. They state that the geometry of the building is inspired by the structure of tobacco plants, “with the principle of equality and diversity that we also see in these vegetables— the leaves are similar but different at the same time.” The volumes vary in size and are slightly offset from each other. There is a connection between floors, as visitors can stand on one balcony and see other people standing just above or below them.

Contemporary ceramics are at work in the facade. Intended to mimic the atmosphere of a tobacco drying building, a ceramic fabric filters light through holes in the facade. Sunlight comes through the walls, creating a dematerialized effect across the facade. The ceramic material, Flexbrick, rests on a weave of steel bars. Flexbrick, according to the company, are flexible ceramic sheets used for cladding and laminated structures. It’s characterized by small component pieces, which are usually installed one at a time. In the museum, the ceramic pieces are inserted into the grid and are set against panes of glass. The design keeps the building cool during the summer and draws the eye to the plants surrounding the building.

What do you think about Losada García’s work with contemporary ceramics in architecture? Let us know in the comments.