David Chipperfield Architects in collaboration with b720 Architects of Barcelona won an international limited competition for Valencia’s America’s Cup Pavilion. This permanent building and associated landscape forms the VIP social focal point for the world’s premier offshore racing competition, staged in Europe for the first time in 152 years following Swiss Team Alinghi’s win over Team New Zealand in 2003.

The project is the centrepiece of the reorganisation of Valencia’s industrial port into the base for the America’s Cup. The Foredeck consists of a 10,000m² 4-floor pavilion containing restaurant and bar facilities, shopping (including a Louis Vuitton store and private lounge), conference facilities and a top floor viewing penthouse (with restaurant and bar). The design concept was conceived as a series of stacked and shifting horizontal planes, which create shaded, uninterrupted views. Beyond this building a ‘tail’ of elevated spectator decks overlooks a newly excavated canal that will link the port, home to the competing teams, to the offshore racing courses. Behind this tail, a 100,000m² landscaped park develops a strong link between the existing city and the seafront.

Other participants in the competition included Jean Nouvel of France, Foreign Office of London, GMP Architects of Germany and Carlos Ferrater of Spain.

Overall, the new schedule represents an important evolution for the America's Cup. While the Cup season itself is much shorter, the leading Acts ensure meaningful, dramatic, America's Cup racing takes place each year, and allows the America's Cup to go 'on tour', visiting different venues, and bringing the excitement and spectacle of this event to new audiences. In 2007, the final Act was an opening Fleet race, for all the competitors of the 32nd America's Cup. After that, the Challengers squared off in the Louis Vuitton Cup, to determine who will race Team Alinghi in the 32nd America's Cup Match.

The buliding is shortlisted for the Stirling Prize 2007.

How to get there:

Catch the Metro to Neptú station and walk to the water front, you won't miss it.

below: winning entry rendered image

as you approach the building from the metro, the building does appear to have a nautical feel, could almost be mistaken with a moored large yacht

closer

the ramp up the deck area

large cantilevering decks

i had to use the ultra wide angle to capture the essense of the space created by these cantilevers.

yes, that wall is leaning, not distortion from my lens

from the corner

cafe/bar

stairs to the waterfront (yes, the building is actually set back from the waterfront)

stair detail

stairs connecting different deck levels

same connecting stair

the adjacent deck area as one of the many entrances

those stairs leading up the platform

another corner

on one of those connecting stairs, you can see this beautiful glow from the underside of these huge cantilevers

looking into the 'core' of the building

taking the same ramp that we came up on down, you can see that the ramp also defines a small urban square in front of the building

stairs, ramp and building

ramp, stairs and building

ramp and urban square in front of building

steel column holding up ramp

last one... cantilevering decks

All in all, this building turned out a lot better than i expected. Sure it looks and feels like a large yacht or ocean liner literally, but why not? I was there during the America's Cup and I really feel connected with the event (visually and emotionally), even though I was only an architectural tourist. The spaces are heroic yet simple. It serves the purpose of the building well.

and the Google Earth placemark.

Great piece of architecture :rock on:. Thanks for posting dude! As I told you, my only concern would be the aging of those white metal claddings. I hope they have an heavy budget for maintenance in order to keep that buidling as neat as it looks right now.

Great stuff SWANK-E- as usual

Maybe they are intending to get the crew that clean the yachts....

Great thread interesting to see real pictures as ever.

I really like some of Chipperfields decisions like not doing anything fancy where the deck hits the building - just slams on in there, or the stepped ramp with straight handrail. I also think it's interesting that the white building looks kinda stupid with dark grey / black tarmac and other floor finishes but set into white stone floor (or with shiny sea foreground) it seems so much more appropriate.

The building is a bit too heroic for my taste and the yacht metaphor is seriously tired but I guess there was no choice with this competition. Must be one of the favorites for the Sterling Prize?

Thanks kevin! Really top-notch photography from you

this is my most favourite building from Chipperfield. solely on the fact that the entire building was completed within 11 months of receiving the commission!

Now tell me which other architectural and large public building has achieved this feat including the design phase?

The next fact that blew me away - according to Chipperfield, this building has only 6 details. 6 DETAILS???!!

Ladies and Gentlemen - We have a winner.

(however, is that my screen or are the ceiling panels starting to brown on the edges?)

As usual great images, Swank-e.
I had the opportunity to visit this building recently, and I agree with your comments. It seems very appropriate for its function, a huge observation deck over the Port America's Cup, reminding a big ocean liner.
Structurally it is impressive with those thick cantilevered slabs.
Being on a tight schedule, I guess you didn't have time to walk around, so I'll add a few more pictures of the building taken from further away (hope you don't mind).

The building seen from the marina

From Alinghi headquarters

From south

From east

And from north (repeating what you've already shown)

This last one is just to show the impresive effect of the cantilevers seen from below, and also how the light fixtures (the darker lines) are integrated in these ceilings.

(hope you don't mind).

sure, that's the whole point of this forum... to share and collect as much information and discussion about each project.

This last one is just to show the impresive effect of the cantilevers seen from below, and also how the light fixtures (the darker lines) are integrated in these ceilings.

Here's a night shot I found that shows those fixtures in action.

Published in Detail Magazine (http://www.detail.de/D070807/index.htm) 7/8 2007 'Steel Construction'. Page 10 in online sample.