Concert and Congress Hall/Palacio de Congreso, Lanzarote, Spain

Volcanoes inspire Lanzarote's new concert and congress hall

The renowned Danish architectural company Henning Larsen Architects and Spanish architect Carlos Morales have won the international architectural competition to design the new concert and congress hall on one of the Canary Islands', Lanzarote.

Henning Larsen Architects has designed several internationally noted concert halls. Among others, the opera in Copenhagen, Uppsala Concert & Congress Hall in Sweden and Iceland’s new national concert hall currently being built on the harbour in Reykjavik.

The new 15,000 sq m concert and congress hall of Lanzarote, Palacio de Congresos, will be located at the sea promenade of Arrecife, the island’s main city. The building is inspired by the jagged and characteristic landscape of Lanzarote. The crystalline shape accentuates the identity and evolves the profile of the city. In the evening it welcomes visitors and shows the inner glow and activity.

"The building will become a cultural point of reference for Lanzarote”, explains Design Director Louis Becker, Henning Larsen Architects. “It holds the sense and feel of the island. You experience the vast nature with its mountains, volcanoes, ocean and the high sky. The building is created for this place and this place alone”.

Lanzarote’s new concert and congress hall is designed to be as flexible catering for: classical concerts, electronic music and conferences. Additionally, the size of the three halls can be modified.

"The building itself is an answer to the functional program with a strong sense of belonging to the place for which it is designed", says Managing Director Carlos Morales, Carlos Morales Arquitecto SLP.

Palacio de Congresos is due for completion in 2013.
source: www.worldarchitecturenews.com
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