Visitor reception center Caminito del Rey

The Málaga-based practice of Luis Machuca, author of the recuperation of the Caminito del Rey, has now completed a visitor reception center for this well-known walkway along the walls of a narrow gorge in Málaga province. Located on a promontory overlooking the Guadalhorce reservoir, at a spot right next to the edge of the Natural Area of Los Gaitanes Gorge, this 550-square-meter facility presents the history of the place and its extraordinary archaelogical, botanical, geological, and anthropological treasures. Standing within a protected enclave, the collapsible pavilion whose structure and enclosure are built with wood merges with the surroundibg nature, in a composition of parallel portal frames that deform as they rise. The spaces between frames are covered with wooden panels and thermal insulation elements coated with a wetproofing material whose last layer is made of small pieces of slate. The interior layout is a continuous flow around two closed modules containing the café and the toilets. Energy self-sufficient, with no connection to any electrical network, the building has its needs met by photovoltaic panels installed on the pergolas of the nearby parking lots. Finally, a system based on the Canadian geothermal well makes it possible to deal with any excess heat or cold produced indoors.