The La Llotja de Lleida theatre and congress centre meets the aim of turning Lleida into a city for culture and holding conferences. Moreover, the building designed by Mecanoo architects is suited to the prevailing micro climate in southern Spain. ABT provided the design and execution in cooperation with a local engineering practice.
The wide overhangs are not only spectacular in appearance, but also offer protection from the summer sun and winter rain. Events can also be staged, with the steps of the adjacent buildings being used for seating the audience.
Backbones
The overhangs have been constructed using so-called backbones. They have been incorporated out of sight into the walls of the theatre and the conference rooms. The floors above the overhangs are made of steel concrete floors in order to reduce their weight. By contrast, the theatre and the conference rooms have thick, massive concrete floors.
A monumental staircase leads visitors to the large multi-functional hall on the 1st floor. A sloping walkway links this hall to the foyer, where a huge horizontal window offers a view of the city. This is why the façade is constructed from steel quarter beams. This prevents the view from being obstructed by the diagonals of a normal truss beam.
