Within The Walls

Getaria is a small town on the northern coast of Spain known for its white wine and fish. The town, as part of the Basque Country, is also known for its gastronomical societies, or eating clubs as they are known in other parts of the world. The premise for this studio was to design a new gastronomical society in the heart of the town, on the site of the Palacio Zarauz, an abandoned 16th-century building that stands adjacent to the Church of San Salvador. The final proposal utilizes the abandoned walls of the site as the anchors for the volume of the various programs, which include a museum for the display of the artifacts found on the site, a municipal office, and dining spaces for several gastronomical societies. The project proposes using "light portals" that would be covered on the inside surface with a mirrored material that would bring in not only light but would also reflect the city into the interior. This gap, between the existing site walls and the new building, would be open to the elements, allowing museum visitors a unique experience when exploring the ruins of the former palace.