Alberto Campo Baeza 2001
Construction of the headquarters of the Caja General de
Ahorros de Granada, a local savings bank, resulted from
an architectural competition held in 1992 and won by the
Madrid-based architect and professor Alberto Campo
Baeza. The building is a massive cubic volume, 33 meters
in size made out of concrete and stone and situated on
a concrete plinth. Besides ample office space, there
is an eight-story atrium dramatically structured by four
monumental columns of three meters in diameter.
The dimensions are colossal, but are successfully
concealed from the outside by means of a large concrete
grid façade that works as a brise-soleil and strongly
defines the exterior image of the building. The atrium,
which Campo Baeza calls “an impluvium of light” is
illuminated by large skylights. The skylights collect the
bright Andalusian sunlight in a manner reminiscent of
the old Roman impluviums which collected rainwater.
Two beautifully alabaster-clad atrium walls help to filter
horizontal natural light and along with the impluviums
are another direct reference to the rich architectural
heritage of Roman Spain. Other images that the
architect kept in mind when designing the building were
the Cathedral of Granada and the Daily Mirror building
in London built by Owen Williams, which influenced
the Caja’s atmosphere for their masterful control of light
and monumental scale.
Ahorros de Granada, a local savings bank, resulted from
an architectural competition held in 1992 and won by the
Madrid-based architect and professor Alberto Campo
Baeza. The building is a massive cubic volume, 33 meters
in size made out of concrete and stone and situated on
a concrete plinth. Besides ample office space, there
is an eight-story atrium dramatically structured by four
monumental columns of three meters in diameter.
The dimensions are colossal, but are successfully
concealed from the outside by means of a large concrete
grid façade that works as a brise-soleil and strongly
defines the exterior image of the building. The atrium,
which Campo Baeza calls “an impluvium of light” is
illuminated by large skylights. The skylights collect the
bright Andalusian sunlight in a manner reminiscent of
the old Roman impluviums which collected rainwater.
Two beautifully alabaster-clad atrium walls help to filter
horizontal natural light and along with the impluviums
are another direct reference to the rich architectural
heritage of Roman Spain. Other images that the
architect kept in mind when designing the building were
the Cathedral of Granada and the Daily Mirror building
in London built by Owen Williams, which influenced
the Caja’s atmosphere for their masterful control of light
and monumental scale.
Cathedral of Granada & Daily Mirror building
Scale model
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