Veles e Vents
David Chipperfield Architects; b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos · Valencia, Spain · 2006
Veles e Vents was designed by David Chipperfield Architects and b720 for Valencia's America's Cup waterfront. Completed in 2006, the building stacks broad horizontal platforms whose deep overhangs frame views of the marina and sea. External stairs and terraces make circulation a visible part of the composition, while the offset floor plates provide shaded spaces at several levels. The project helped reposition an industrial port area as a civic and leisure destination. Its clearest architectural experience is the relationship between the open ground plane, the layered platforms and the horizon beyond. Visiting: The marina approach is free. Restaurant, event and upper-level access depends on the operator.