Playa Lava creates a strong, site-specific identity for El Hierro by blending architecture with the island’s volcanic landscape, structuring both public and intimate spaces along the descent from the volcano to the ocean. The design orchestrates masses, voids, and vegetation to frame diverse programs.
International Competition
Year:
2007
Location:
Puerta de la Estaca, El Hierro Island, Spain
Playa Lava establishes a distinctive identity for the site, creating a strong visual presence and a recognizable landmark for the island of El Hierro. Approaching from Puerto de la Estaca, visitors encounter an organic landscape that evokes the island’s rugged coastlines and reflects the volcanic character of the nearby volcano.
At a more detailed scale, the design orchestrates a composition of masses, voids, shadows, and vegetation that structures the area adjacent to the harbor. The sound of the ocean interacts with this playful spatial arrangement, while the design frames different ocean zones for a variety of recreational experiences.
The architecture of Playa Lava draws on the natural formal language of the site, integrating seamlessly into the existing landscape. This language is reinterpreted to accommodate a diverse range of programs. Flowing down from the volcano toward the ocean, the design shifts in scale to respond to functional needs. At the higher, mountainous end, the focus is on public life, hosting a shopping center, a market, an open agora, a children’s school, and restaurants. Toward the ocean, the scale becomes more intimate, creating discrete spaces for platforms, a relaxation pool, multiple snorkeling areas, and a pier to enjoy the surrounding scenery.
Client:
City of El Hierro
Team J. MAYER H.:
Jürgen Mayer H.
Ana I. Alonso
Dr. Paul Angelier
Christoph Emenlauer
Steve Malloy
Alessandra Raponi
Jan-Christoph Stockebrand
Structural Engineers:
Juan Rey Rey, Luis Cea Gomez, Luis Diaz Diaz, Mecanismo, Madrid
