Costa Rica Legislative Assembly Building

San José, Costa Rica 2016 – 2021

This new project aims to transform the original concepts of democracy, transparency, solidity, sustainability and the creation of an urban landmark present in the winning project of the design contest of the new Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica.

The area designated for this new proposal was the property located to the west of the old legislative building, with an area of ​​4,700 m2; therefore, the 60,000 m2 of the construction program must inevitably be arranged vertically. In the original project it was argued that democracy is not vertical, it is horizontal, and even more so for a country like Costa Rica, which has the oldest democracy in all of Latin America.

However, this new proposal translates the concept of democracy into the possibility that provides the building so that every citizen can freely enter the heart of the Legislative Assembly without affecting its operation or its security. The fact that the building was a concrete block that was very hermetic to the outside and very open to the inside is due to several factors. The first is a bioclimatic and sustainable solution since the thickness of the walls prevents the interior from heating up, substantially reducing the use of artificial air conditioning.

By arranging the circulation of the plants in the outer ring, it allows the exterior windows to function as gills, naturally ventilating the interior corridors. On the other hand, the solidity of Costa Rican democracy is symbolized by the concrete block that rises above the main level, generating openings on all sides allowing the citizen to enter and experience the interior space. Like the original project, the legislative plenary session was arranged below the entrance level, reminding the deputies that the people will always be above them.

Thinking about the organic growth of the city, and that in the future this building was going to be surrounded by large towers, the solution could not have an image of a conventional building, where all the windows faced the outside and it was thought more of a building introverted with a central patio, like the old houses in the capital, where all the offices face that large space.

Client
Costa Rica Nacional Congress

Location
San José, Costa Rica

Construction Area
60,000 sqm

Programme
Government Building

Design
Javier Salinas, Carlos Araya, Lou Guthrie, Fabián Alvares

Status
Construction completed