E.1 DROPPED CEILINGS, A CHANCE TO LEARN

Although reinforced concrete is very widely used today, a hundred years ago –when the Punta Begoña Galleries were built– it was one of the more innovative technologies. It is no surprise, therefore, that when it first appeared on the scene there were doubts about its use, and each project in which the decision was made to apply this technique provided a testing ground for new ideas and the most innovative arrangements.

Punta Begoña is no exception to this case and, what’s more, the peculiarities of this building made it a veritable laboratory for the use of reinforced concrete. The games area we are now in is a good example of this.

All one needs to do is look at the ceiling along the whole of the route to see how each stretch found a different way of responding to the problems that arose: dropped ceilings, bare beams, double flooring with wide air chambers, etc. Nevertheless, although many of these techniques worked well and are still in use today, others were unfortunately less successful. Such is the case of the dropped ceilings in this south-west gallery. A quick glance is enough to see the damage on this feature, which remains in place in some parts, but has fallen away in others or is at risk of doing so.

To enter this wide gallery, we first needed to make it safe. To do so, we have had to assess the state in each area and identify those parts that were worth restoring and those that were best removed. Thanks to this, what was initially a safety hazard has now provided an opportunity not only to walk through this new area but also to discover and showcase how the use of reinforced concrete has evolved through to the present day.

Project drawn up by: FORASTER architects