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For the Greek, Hemeroscopium is the place where the sun sets. An allusion to a place that exists only in our mind, in our senses, that is ever-changing and mutable, but is nonetheless real. It is delimited by the references of the horizon, by the physical limits, defined by light, and it happens in time.



Hemeroscopium house traps, a domestic space, and a distant horizon. And it does so playing a game with structures placed in an apparently unstable balance, that enclose the living spaces allowing the vision to escape. With heavy structures and big actions, disposed in a way to provoke gravity to move the space. And this way it defines the place.





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The Hemeroscopium House superexposes its massive structural grid as the driving aesthetic concept (Click on this and all of the images to get a detailed view)



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Close up of the Hemeroscopium House's structure



The order in which these structures are piled up generates a helix that sets out from a stable support, the mother beam, and develops upwards in a sequence of elements that become lighter as the structure grows, closing on a point that culminates the system of equilibrium. Seven elements in total. The design of their joints respond to their constructive nature, to their forces; and their stresses express the structural condition they have. By the way this structure is set, the house becomes aerial, light, transparent, and the space kept inside flows with life. The apparent simplicity of the structure´s joints requires in fact the development of complex calculations, due to the reinforcement, and the prestress and post-tension of the steel rods that sew the web of the beams.





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The glass facade gives the massive beam an almost floating appearance



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Close up of one of the eight main structural beams



It took us a year to engineer but only seven days to build the structure, thanks to a total prefabrication of the different elements and a perfectly coordinated rhythm of assembly. All of our effort oriented to develop the technique that would allow to create a very specific space. And thus, a new astonishing language is invented, where form disappears giving way to the naked space. Hemeroscopium house materializes the peak of its equilibrium with what in Ensamble Studio we ironically call the “G point”, a twenty ton granite stone, expression of the force of gravity and a physical counterweight to the whole structure.





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The elevated swimming pool cantilevers far into the open space



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A view inside the inner courtyard unveils the beautiful play of the giant beams and V-shaped pillars



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Elevation Sketch



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Section Sketch



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Isometric Sketch



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Model Photo - Exterior



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Model Photo - Exterior



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Model Photo - Exterior



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Model Photo - Interior



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Construction impressions



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During the 7-day construction process: bringing the prefabricated beams into position



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During the 7-day construction process: bringing the prefabricated beams into position



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During the 7-day construction process: bringing the prefabricated beams into position



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Construction impressions



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Construction progress: the main structure is complete



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Antón García- Abril with his team on one of the giant beams







Antón García- Abril

*1969 in Madrid, Spain

European Doctor of Architecture. ETSA, Madrid 2007.

Master in Architecture, ETSA Madrid 1995.

Spanish Academy research scholarship in Rome 1996.

Establishes Ensamble Studio in 2000.

Professor at the E.T.S.A. Madrid, Architecture Projects.

Writes about architecture in EL CULTURAL.

Gives lessons and conferences at different forums and universities.

2008

Exhibition JAE (Young Spanish Architects). Arquería de los Nuevos Ministerios. Madrid. (Sede SGAE Noroeste en Santiago de Compostela).

Exhibition “La natural seducción de la piedra – Contemporary Architecture in Spain. PIEDRA2008”. (Sede de la SGAE en Santiago de Compostela).

Conference “recent work” Accademia d'Architettura of Mendrisio.

Conference “Sfidando la gravità.” Facoltà di Architettura di Ferrara. Ferrara.

Conference “Sfidando la gravità.” Museo di Castelvecchio. Verona.

Conference “A young look to knowledge frontier. Subtractive architecture.” Menéndez Pelayo International University. Santander.

Honor Guest – Conference “Tuned City - Between sound and space speculation. Antón García-Abril: building for sound” . Technische Universität. Berlin.

Conference in Technische Universität Berlin. “Antón García- Abril: studio work. Positionen 08” .

Conference “Matter in time" , Academic Association of Lusíada University, Lisbon.

Conference “New works” . Intention cultural program. Formatos library. A Coruña.

Visiting professor in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

Architectural Digest Award. Best architect of the year 2008.



2007

Conference "Antón García-Abril. Recent work" . Harvard University, Massachusettts.

Visiting professor in University of Navarra, Spain.

Lecturer at the "X Architecture Courses", C.M. Hernando Colón, Seville.

Lecturer at Dallas Architecture Forum, Texas.



2006

Visiting professor in UTA - University of Texas at Dallas.



2000

First Prize. Biennial of Architecture 2000, Spanish Pavilion, Venice.



1997

Store – Exhibition HAZEN PIANOS project. Madrid. Built (1998).

Honorable mention. Madrid City Hall XIII Architecture and Town Planning Award. (Store – Exhibition HAZEN in Madrid).



Antón García-Abril Ruiz & Ensamble Studio. Madrid, 2000.





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