Enric Miralles C.N.A.R., Alicante Text Peter Blundell Jones Photographs Domi Mora, Giovanni Zanzi Edition Axel Menges[Not oma il but of 2h [Enric Miralles's National Gymnestic Training Contre In Alicante ven the pring he landeape around Alcano ‘row, an he un tt of he whe cat ot al ‘mage oad can be bing. Te dun eokured mou tans which fs ace behind the cout ae rou, Fa, ara vag, bt oven hela he an Ns Iie oor Date pas ana act tive wae thr is ‘hin of water an lo rts ith emat and thay teaves wnicr ede pungent culnary se, bul here isalck of ho teeny roan latage which he Nest Europes takes so much or grate, ana 30a ace ofthe sone at every acre are has valve are pur pose. nde, the youd cn the way om the pod Seem go sun ufonced no-one ot wert he tose of cutiaten and apparent oca peony by afew acvertaenents on one rings ‘hat bette the cy imensoshalow cavers ck irrough to the sea boar wines 0 pharton ars ich marae fora ew sudden an wok Mors ater arm bt whch seam scarcely crest whan anes acad wh te ty menctonos Peat. ‘Acant eos aragged mature of bulcngs town ogee’ mainte tert corty an 2 Barony whit mucho aan gow a 8 Posy reco forland cked Maa wth area a at (gonerous beac, and the poms a ets rom Frtsour to es butt has never been ard nom the conantation of th aad has gone wih cas sshaarg the eso every ong the Coa. "To prowion of a Nationa Gyrrases Tang ‘carr resus tom ator cl os spt, a tly ‘ppertunty whieh ed on tonal a arate! Successes, Tis was compounded bythe pata ‘esro of conta goverment o ue soma back {etre provecosincorvast win he Franco regres Tendeney ocr evan Mar. Thoreau of ‘2 conmssion gen to Eve Mra and oor at fer Came Pc n 180, to bung was competed Bits essontitsn oly 9 mors to sev othe i rater Cramperanps of October 1088, but thas Sing been suet 1 futher ing up an ting on “The st and surroundings During ow fg to Alcante Mrs hd asady ox Plane te dependence of he beg on he Se ‘sth aly steers on sp pap whan we aught ‘ur tst gimese rom he aeropane wean othe ‘lsarang metal oo prcing rom si is Oo Serpton hd mado tha ila meurtan. the spacse nar spread ae eaion between ig alg an tho otors clears sed mom ton, a grape Same $taton oth conoa fo ele the bung toe 2 ‘sarong undcape. Thi Keno ot oe & Tra obcasson of ery Mira projec. The srg {hg ets croasing ln can ook bos asta a tenomous ona plan ard mihadingy othe of ‘her contanporay rhtcts concerned on wth thar own sash compostona dovees: bt wth Mi ral there avays a ner stopan whieh reatos the tenet exchanges round and wan the bung bocktoa calmer and more coherent whol. Ths he 6 chor buldngs ofthe Ome lagen Barolona Fave be seen as edge treatments othe sors {lds whi hy seve, absorbing etl changes: and ‘he ove cone at Rosas must be son roto {o he sro oftetory whieh tpossacces ad de {en by mene off rjc was, ‘cartes Gyms Cano one a numberof cater sports fits on the net de ofa ‘he the most rome nara Tear ith the hy, Rougr angular shape, he st is requ, ‘bounded fo the north by an eistng read wc ‘Swing ound Wt the hi aa cy he ‘qacty rong contours, Gn bath ong see other tng tne gtund nant ioe bing fone sete {aly towarés ho portod easton, while short ‘onl wast sca masts heat plane of one ‘Sing toa pth The ph as an tt roc: {angular forge aliek wh tha ty baw ana beyond, ‘Sgtaing cut as opposed to aren te be Fina, ae bequeatnng fore bul both is major ‘as ats most formal and syne ace. Public coats up om fe cy takes pace via he oad which rune alongsia the ret fark of he ulin. Over Fagg upoe pars ote ructire st cn colar ome with cantoverod rot o rove an ext She porch to sheter he queuing rows processing {Up be lng ramos: the whole rern of about ony. The bie asked fortwo larga aes: aman hal or bic perormanoes seating 4000, anda practice hal, rales eres o pay up the erence betweon than, {nd alot place hem nconrasing waye one Se Steg the man hal across th ws ond palo {ha fotba ph to wet but unvng te ration hak tight angi wo tina F shaped aangoneet. The ‘wo ale share olor, lvatones and chang fac Ie, which re st logealy bet thm, ane the ‘man ervanes 00 af ot betwee the Pal the oar of he lng n pan the envance wea 8 et etvon the major encooed spaces fam ‘Sfabod space rte whch the eusdo wos pours. On ‘T.ocefnongthe ma halts bounded by te igh ‘ok of he spectator seat, who on We oho {wat pote ancioang the pastes ral sues ‘round wth one othe ramp thon across rouge Bang to pot onthe ther sido: are cones 2 ‘alow wing housing Cassfoons ard carton. The ‘vancaojer ara zoned cctonaly between pub- card paricpants the earanco fr sprts poole be- Ing aso rund vl wah sot ramos down changng rear while Pato spactatorsle at tp ‘Stating tela along extra ram, Dost the ‘Son, tho canal par ofthe bul is sul open. a {rational space a the Re of te complex am ‘vet one soe 40 bo Pals ‘Te dosign of ho two halls ‘The main a read tobe unl space allowing at spectators an unmterupted vw, bull ey appro ity ectangut ore ends ae treated in cor "sing ways, andthe lon seatngcck to ast ‘hy sewedin sty wh the contours ard tne imac wal wich echoes thm. Unie he rit ‘angles nade o oe up balanced ons between ‘ayes tor team spr and gas such as bad fon gymacte space tied by a ete of mats ofVaried shape and size, often deployed smutancousty Song vith any necessary equi. Te overt Imenons ae governed by the maxes engi 2nd hah required Te canan manoeaees ato sod cms groupings th ng o treat rato of rnost 2: als aternatng use of two approximately Sue setgs. Toro was sno reed 9) ‘Gator arangomert of spectator soateg, ond coud ‘De deloye to artoust the uneven dion a socal ‘ups, wn oa conto tothe ciferent ea ‘Sten routes. The ong syreneical westem range a ‘ha back fhe eastarn one ae gun oth gor ‘Bac th lower arto the eat range 1o Sars Fodraton membre and ae prtipats, an ie ‘Shar blocks of seating a rot sd seth nd or ates and poss rspectiay. These a ms gi ‘Sens, raor a mere o showing tat the audience Is ‘ota snl ned moss ting that he argest (goup ard that or which ne experance smo for "a, te general pti, oecupes ergot and est ‘Erma seatng sro onthe wet se, Tre lo the a of he bling wien peopl wi have soon exter. Fay n citing the i om the cy canes “he convasing Weatment oho nds ol he sosce que te hala major anda mincr end tx lo slow thencuson ofa sesable anrarce athe sou west xe, oth er the compat to posont Perreces ‘Soren aed for reoaucng equipment To Jeong tongue of space serves th purpose wel le ‘ako proving a generous practi area meaty preparatory to appeararcain to arena. neces, ‘orcs canbe drvenn tom oti throug end ‘doors o alow easy reduction of heavy equpment ‘Rtuther enrarce tom he cut woe a he net ‘wot corner beneath led tank of eats asa "endod er sereng, but resnts he tiga pos ‘Si of nk betwee th focal space ana ha ule ‘Wai a fet door trough when pecessons ar ‘moblo parermances mgr arte rom te ys “he practe Mal layed of agar the pare mance atin ust corrast cou be mode ‘uch moretregaa in kaepng wht es oma ‘ol, mere proving vlme enough era ens ot ‘acy spices temperary dened by thr spate ‘ats. cou acco taper shape suagestd by {he so. and even dion by a carer cola Io {ce he oo pan. Formal epecatorcoting nt rodod, but etead a ruber of uordeate ae rents ar ede at the sou wex corn aoe ka [angst the-bulaing, These stack up at vars anges wit ta wncons, gars and bles Icoting note proce hal on mary levee. From hoe, a fom tbe man sta aston on re wet 55, (grmnass ating canbe watched by fends ana leagues. Inthe north weet comer he entry amp fr Ebocator cuts high across othe space, and on bes of the quia publican gan glnpoes rom ts venous of he gymnast, wneting Pe eppeiesfr the spect tas out 1 ws. ‘Att plane agains the hi Even fhe pret of he gmnasti spaces could bohandiod wih some feecor was cose at ‘ar floor be soso fa, and doseable Pat Bath hal be the sae vl to acto mavens be twin ther, Such hort san assumed on ‘orton wih most buligs, 2x easy enough ona fa Se, tuthere rw sooo considratle. Tho fat oor as to most oxernal ground atte outer doar of te trae hl tho west ers, 9 th eto th Blng {an onty manan this evel by dpgeg re hol, be bracts hal draping to some 5 metres bdow ground site ast ond “Trvougrou th bulking Males pay of ie en posed fess agaist the ara ope othe hl 2 ‘oa gimpenen tough wndows fr comparison ‘a tho illios ho rope shor romps own ro the Sports peop’ envance tothe man foo: whe Pe lets aleng/ne ne along the nor side eto pects: tos. wing neat he onerenranee and eet ‘oot hen up aed cut agan to mec sacar ‘rane coming out of teh aa ay To tan ‘he necessary hog, he man rap ur about ee ‘uaters of th way up to run aganst he dope, va Inge bulking wth a tial bee lo cure 9 ‘ppostion oho ground ke concrete ros bao "Wan the buldg to cascade of tae and nd- Ings betwoon th has plays ts componty agar be fainees ote oor below, wich agate tae ‘elven poet Th rr amp conte tray st tho north wost comer loading back down paste" foahmant feos an external acon towards the ran bank of seating onthe west se, Ta sepng bah becomes arts ground. echoing the slope of {hel beneath Horzorta eorrast ie guen Dat By the peermance tor ar the nes othoteartaly ranged seats ‘The arhitecture ofthe root tne fat floor is ne of he main unin arent in ths comp and agreed ung, the oo the ‘ter I covers ho wea eh te Continous ‘Stoop at very lw ih, wth ih fal fo ether ‘an back no te hl Thee are ves engtuaa ‘ruses, ne lrget ements othe busing, wesc un "dead sight ies fom eas to west. vega o- ‘aes the west en and mace space. era he ‘eral tus makes asain rth blag whch ‘ractoe is the man evertaton deve, weer ‘ost everywhere. Me catal ine of eotanns lea ‘romnent neal nthe pods ate cane ane fends of he practice al cetera nthe conte ops winch markt cone to west to "Te itl congo a8 preposad Thal the thee long tuses be of constant Soph witha secondary ruc of cables stung between thm to generate a pa of concave cuter ues, an ipressvey simple femal concetwresovituee ae wal represented by the cardboard made n turer caveat th (graors, however froved advantageous tary th {opt of tre man wueses by pete ram upwards to varying opine in accoaanoe withthe span be tt ths tha prodied tha dg ne tse fers so ossonta tothe age othe fa leg, ‘alagost beng bs catal one ovr he man peor ‘manos a when ras to span across both man barks of eating 2s woo the pvtorrance space The ed cnes th smaller spars do tun so igh. ‘eta ofthe north se ws change Yo @ conta hgh fr most of eng ate astute to save