Danish architecture firm Henning Larsen was awarded first place in a competition to design a new concert and congress hall on one of the Canary Islands, Lanzarote.
Taking inspiration from the jagged landscape of the island, Palacio de Congresos is a 161,000 sq ft (15,000 sq m) crystalline-shaped structure that is designed to be as flexible as possible. Along with its striking form, the structure incorporates a number of sustainability initiatives like a “semi-intelligent” shading facade to keep the interior cool, solar panels for energy, and rainwater collection. It is due for completion in 2013.
“The building will become a cultural point of reference for Lanzarote,” explains Design Director Louis Becker of Henning Larsen Architects. “It holds the sense and feel of the island. You experience the vast nature with its mountains, volcanoes, ocean, and the high sky. The building is created for this place and this place alone.”
