Forum Building

INFORMATION

During the year 2004 a forum was held in Barcelona. A huge event with conferences, lectures, discussions and much more about different cultures and related topics. For this event a group of buildings will provide space for the hotels, press, exhibitions, shops, offices and of course the conference hall. The main building, the hart of the forum was designed by Jacques Herzog & Pierre de Meuron.

the building distinguishes itself from the others because of its height. mainly because of the surrounding buildings wich are rather tall, Herzog & de Meuron decided to go a flat as possible. They chose to work with a triangular building, interfering with the Mediterranean and one of Barcelonan most important boulevards.

Not like in their previous work, structure plays an important role in the surface. The building is filled with several crystal-shaped courtyards determining the whole perception of the building. The outside wall will be deep blue and have a spongy surface, a reference to the nearby sea.

Actually it’s more than only a triangular volume. Again Herzog & de Meuron wanted to make their building public and didn’t want to lose the social function as an urban strategy. The volume is actually a huge slab hanging above a place with a very intimate sphere where people can meet and walk between the transparent and solid tubes which are the structural elements. In collaboration with the mayor of the city, the decision was made to hold a weekly market to bring a natural way of life. Their building must live, also when no conferences are hold.