El Termet, a privileged location in Vila-Real where its pine forest cradles the Mijares River.
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A place of the past that cradles the Hermitage of its municipal patron saint.
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A modern location that, under the motto "Lots of air and sun," Eugenio Cendoya dreamed of as a Garden City.
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A contemporary location, responsive to public will, inclusive and energetic, redefining its surroundings with a new pavilion.
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Lots of air and sun, Pinus halepensis, plastered walls, vaulted ceilings, handcrafted brick, woodwork...
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El Termet, a place in serene dialogue with its surroundings and history, looks to new times with renewed optimism.
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The project is located in a privileged enclave of Vila-Real, the Termet natural area. Its scenic value is due to a natural setting composed of a majestic pine forest that embraces the bend of the Mijares River as it passes through Vila-Real. Its rich heritage is represented both by the popular architecture of the 16th-century Hermitage of Our Lady of Grace, the municipal patron saint, and by the Staircase and Municipal Hostel, which, under the motto "Much air and much sun" (1932), were part of Eugenio Cendoya's ambitious Garden City project, which was interrupted by the outbreak of the Civil War (1936).
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The hostel, previously used as such, has taken advantage of recent events, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the War in Ukraine, to provide shelter for health and humanitarian emergencies. Therefore, retrofitting the hostel's energy efficiency, creating a new flexible pavilion that complements the existing housing uses, and redefining the new boundaries with its immediate surroundings represents an unparalleled opportunity to revitalize this public and inclusive facility, situated in the heart of nature. The project begins by restoring the original volume by removing the additions that have accumulated over time. Facades, balconies, and roofs are being repaired, and the wooden carpentry is being refurbished, replacing hardware and glass with higher-performance materials, making the hostel more energy-efficient and more recognizable from a historical and construction perspective.
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The new Pavilion (Cendoya) aims to "bring" the old hostel into the 21st century through a calm and friendly dialogue in which the new emerges from the old and the old is updated. A lintel of the hostel, in the form of a relieving arch, is extruded and added in successive bays, forming a new arcade of cantilevered vaults projecting toward the plaza, which articulates the staircase-hermitage-hostel complex.
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This roof, connected to the shelter only at its access bay, like an umbilical cord, is separated from the rest of the perimeter to create a space of respect "between" the buildings and a space of connection "between" people.
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The brick vaults that make up the roof are supported by a lightweight metal structure to which solid pine woodwork is attached on the underside. Steel handles wrapped in leather on the access doors warmly welcome the visitor.
The ground plane, the same solid handcrafted brick that forms the roof, extends around the perimeter of the shelter, eliminating architectural barriers and adapting to its immediate surroundings. Stairs, benches, railings, wastebaskets, lighting, tree pits, gargoyles, and drains are designed to complement and intensify the relationship between the landscape, the facilities themselves, and the people.
