Pavilions for Port Services

Pavilions for Port Services. APH - Architect: Francisco Sedano Arce (1941 - 1942)

The building consists of two symmetrical and free-standing blocks that mark the access to the port of Huelva. The structure is made up of a double bay of load-bearing walls, combined with a row of concrete pillars. The floor plan distribution is also quite conventional, with a covered porch prior to access to the central staircase, from which the different offices are arranged in a linear succession.

It is because of their rich volumetric play that these two pieces are characterized externally. In this sense, to the incomings and outgoings caused by the setbacks of the different façade planes, we must add the alternation of heights that occurs between the one-, two-, and three-story areas. The result is a lively play of volumes, where the semi-cylindrical shape of the corner and the deep shadows generated by the access porch stand out.

The rigor with which the architect enhances this volumetry, reinforced by horizontal bands of brick where the different windows of the building are fitted, finally manages to provide the whole with a unitary and sober image that recalls some examples of European rationalist architecture.
@Angel Lopez Macias