Beyond the ephemeral glitter of a world's fair, the 2008 Zaragoza Expo, which runs through September 14th in the northern Spanish city, is architecturally memorable for only two or three innovative buildings. The compact 60-acre site along the Ebro River is designed to become a future urban district. Pavilions for participating countries (missing are Britain, Canada and the USA) and Spain's regions recede into the background with organic forms discretely designed by the Spanish firm ACXT. A landmark Water Tower structure by Enrique de Teresa, though organized as a double spiral of ramps around its central void, looks like an elegantly understated office building from a distance. At night, however, colored lights transform it into a spectacular virtual image of itself.
The fair's two best buildings, the Congress Center by Madrid architects Fuensanta Nieto and Enrique Sobejano and Francisco Mangado's Spanish Pavilion, frame an animated clutter of attractions along the river. Boldly composed of a series of jagged clerestories, the Congress Center displays sobriety with an industrial, muscular, and sculpturally abstract design and spectacular interior spaces. Its only concessions to fashion are translucent sidewalls of expanded metal mesh and glass, which glow from within in the evening.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.