Architects: System Arquitectura
Area: 18814 m²
Photographs: Fernando Alda
Manufacturers: Danpal, Assa Abloy, BMI, Europerfil, Metaldeza, elZinc
Products Used in This Project: Façade Systems Danpal® by Danpal
Architect in Charge: Rafael Urquiza
Technical Architect: Rafael Roa Hernández
Industrial Engineer: Alberto Urquiza
Engineering: CEMOSA
Builders: SANDO
Electric Installation: STC
Installers: PACISA
Clients: Mayoral Moda Infantil SAU
City: Málaga
Country: Spain
The Mayoral New Warehouse Logistics Center by System Arquitectura, located in Intelhorce, Málaga, spans 15,000 square meters with a height of 20 meters. Designed to harmonize with a nearby protected warehouse, the curved facades and textile-inspired design soften its scale. Large arches subdivided into smaller ones create a fabric-like appearance, echoing works by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. Prefabrication and BIM technology ensured efficiency, with a steel structure, zinc facade, and polycarbonate layer combining for insulation, natural lighting, and reduced energy use.
The new building is situated on the Mayoral campus in Intelhorce, Málaga, alongside the protected warehouse originally designed by Vázquez Molezún and restored by the same team in 2018. The project’s concept focuses on urban planning within the complex and its relationship to the adjacent existing warehouse.
The high-storage requirements necessitated the new building to reach a height of 20 meters and span over 15,000 square meters, resulting in a massive structure positioned near the existing warehouse, which stands at just 11 meters tall. As a result, careful consideration was required to ensure seamless integration with its neighbor. This integration was addressed not only in terms of volume but also conceptually, striving to establish a shared architectural language that reflects the textile industry both buildings represent.
Two key ideas shaped the project: (1) departing from the conventional rectangular prism typical of this building typology by curving the facades and maximizing the distance from the existing warehouse to mitigate the stark height difference between the two structures; (2) creating an envelope with a textile-inspired design that establishes a dialogue with the original warehouse, exploring the interplay between transparency and opacity characteristic of fabrics.
The five large arches shaping the four facades are subdivided into smaller arches, softening the solidity of the massive volume and giving the building the appearance of being wrapped in fabric, evoking the artistic works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude seen around the world.
From a technical standpoint, the project is founded on two key principles: prefabrication and energy efficiency.
The project features an extensive use of prefabrication and modulation, with nearly all components prefabricated in the workshop and assembled on-site, apart from the foundation and a few minor elements. Prefabrication, coupled with the application of BIM technology throughout the design, planning, and construction phases, ensured strict adherence to both timelines and budget constraints.
The triangulated tubular steel structure, fabricated in Lalín, Galicia, includes beams with spans of up to 32 meters, which were transported to the site for precise assembly, along with a 16-meter-tall spiral staircase. Meanwhile, the folded zinc sheet facade was produced in Asturias, and the interior polycarbonate skin was manufactured in Álava.
The 20-meter-high facade consists of two layers: an inner translucent polycarbonate layer that ensures insulation and waterproofing, and an outer micro-perforated zinc sheet layer that permits natural light to pass through while shielding the polycarbonate from direct solar radiation, effectively enhancing the facade’s thermal transmission coefficient.
The combination of these layers creates an interior volume that is naturally illuminated across the full height of its four facades, reducing reliance on artificial lighting and effectively regulating the building’s energy consumption.
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Project Location
Address: Avenida de José Ortega y Gasset, 453, Campanillas, 29006 Málaga, Spain
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
