<>
The Olympic Archery Pavilion in Barcelona, completed in 1991 for the 1992 Summer Games, stands as a landmark of modern architectural design that catapulted architects Enric Miralles and Carme Pinós onto the international stage, according to architectural records from ArchDaily. Located in the peripheral hillside neighborhood of La Vall d’Hebron, the project replaced a sports park of rugby and football fields with two distinct yet interconnected archery facilities: a competition pavilion and a training pavilion separated by a full shooting range.
Rooted in the La Vall d’Hebron Hillsides
Rather than following a rigid programmatic or tectonic system, the design by Miralles and Pinós emerged from an imaginative and expressive architectural method that responded directly to the surrounding landscape, as documented in regional design reviews. The competition pavilion relied on two primary elements: an exposed concrete wall system overlooking the shooting range and a retaining wall cut into the hillside from which the structure emerged. Architectural documentation shows that the floor plan was generated by extrapolating pre-existing topographical contour lines while accommodating the spatial demands of sports facilities and locker rooms.
Beating the Clock with Modular Prefabrication
Because Miralles and Pinós won the commission late in 1989, the tight timeline demanded a rapid design and construction response. The architects specified a modular prefabrication system featuring repeated curved concrete panels pierced with triangular and circular holes. These openings served a vital functional purpose by moderating natural light within the interior spaces, creating dynamic patterns of light and shadow across the exposed concrete surfaces. Additional illumination filtered through roof-mounted louvers and screens, employing a complementary technique to shape the exterior facade.
Motion Translated into Architectural Form
While the competition pavilion offered an expressive interpretation of site topography, the training pavilion was designed to evoke the physical movements of the athletes training within it. Featuring a distinct spatial directionality, the training facility completed a complex that earned widespread acclaim for its rhythmic construction drawings. These detailed plans featured an overlay of organic curves and rectilinear geometries that showcased the conceptual process behind the partnership’s rise to global prominence.
From Olympic Glory to Municipal Storage
Engineered for assembly and disassembly, the competition pavilion’s modular structure met an unexpected fate years after the Olympic Games concluded. To accommodate a subterranean metro line expansion in Barcelona, the pavilion was dismantled, and its prefabricated concrete elements were placed into municipal storage. Satellite imagery of the site reveals the inert curved panels resting on their sides, awaiting ultimate disposal or repurposing.
>
Related reading
