Is a square open to the worldAs one of its slogans states, it is located on the right bank of the Avilés Estuary. It is the first and main piece of Innovation Island, a broader project to regenerate a city that was deeply industrial in the 20th century and aspires to an aesthetic and post-industrial transformation in the 21st.
Even before its inauguration in March 2011, the center was already functioning as powerful magnet capable of attracting talent, and all kinds of personalities and celebrities began to parade through Avilés: Woody Allen, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, Wim Wenders, Carlos Saura, Paulo Coelho, Wole Soyinka, Vinton Cerf and many moreAnd so, little by little, an enthusiastic and active community is built, identified with the Centro Niemeyer brand.
Óscar Niemeyer's Spanish work
On December 15, 2010, the Avilés complex, still under construction, It first opened its doors to mark Oscar Niemeyer's 103rd birthday, the prestigious Brazilian architect who gives his name to the cultural center and who years ago agreed to give Avilés this project as a thank you for the awarding of the Prince of Asturias Prize for the Arts in 1989.
It is his only work in our country and considered the most important of those carried out in Europe by this follower of Le Corbusier and father of BrasiliaThe scale of the project began with the very land on which it stands, because it was reclaimed from the sea, and to lay the foundations, piles had to be driven more than 20 meters deep in search of bedrock. The resulting buildings are also taller towards the bottom than they are towards the top, and for this reason, [materials/technical elements] were used. very innovative construction technologies.
The Auditorium, the Dome, the Lookout Tower, the Multipurpose Building and the Open Plaza are the five spaces that make up the CenterThe first of these is not only the tallest but also the most challenging to construct, given the complexity of its forms. It surprises us with its intense yellow color and the large, delicate brushstrokes depicting a woman resting peacefully, seemingly welcoming us.
The auditorium interior has close to 1000 seats; the hall has been designed to host exhibitions and under the stage space there is a chamber room, for the celebration of spectacles with limited capacity. Another feature is its large stage, integrated into the building but open to the Plaza, designed for large events as outdoor concerts and with a capacity for 10.000 people.
the Dome or hemisphere constitutes a diaphanous exhibition space of 2.000 square meters. Its interior, with sinuous forms that achieve an unprecedented balance, houses a lamp designed by the architect himself and a highly praised helical staircase.
The Lookout TowerThe 20-meter-high structure, with its harmonious spiral staircase, allows visitors to appreciate the building's placement overlooking the estuary. It was designed as a gastronomic space. The Niemeyer Center grants gastronomy a cultural status similar to that of any other art form. Inside, visitors can witness and sample the preparation of menus created by guest chefs.
At the Multi-purpose building is the Cinema, with capacity for one hundred people. This space is the only one of the Principality in which films in original version are projected permanently. Its president and advisor on content is Woody Allen. Other multidisciplinary rooms stand out, especially those dominated by two beautiful murals designed by Niemeyer himself.
Lastly, the Open Plaza, is a large space in which recreational and cultural activities are carried out and, in some way, a link between the Center and the city, since the historic center is barely 500 meters.
The final result is a place of great beauty that will leave very few indifferent. The esplanade in which the buildings are built is a space full of magic and harmony, where white cement that looks like immaculate fabric predominates and has been able to relegate industrial and polluting chimneys to the background. It is said that Niemeyer himself has commented on occasion that "if something is beautiful, it is useful" and that vision is also clear in different aspects of the Center, such as the catwalk that joins the Dome and the Auditorium and has no other utility than guide our eyes between the set of buildings.
In front of all this artistic display is a floating footbridge that unites it to the city and that serves as a viewpoint on the new architectural space. A walk that the citizens of Avilés and its visitors frequent enthusiastically.
Óscar Niemeyer Center opening hours
Plaza opening from Mondays to Sundays
· From 09:00 to 24:00.
Reception and box office
· From January 2 to June 21 (from Monday to Sunday).
· De 10:30 a 14:30 y de 15:30 a 19:30 h.
· From June 22 to September 13 (Monday to Sunday).
· De 10:00 a 14:30 y de 15:30 a 20:30 h.
· From September 14 to December 31 (from Monday to Sunday).
· De 10:30 a 14:30 y de 15:30 a 19:30 h.
Regular exhibition hours
· From Wednesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 16:00 to 19:00.
· See each exhibition for more information.
· Closed days
The Niemeyer Center will close on December 24, 25 and 31 and January 1.
Information:
Tel. +34 984 835 031
Approximate visit duration: 45 minutes. The Niemeyer Center is five minutes from the historic center of Avilés. It can be accessed via the footbridge in the old Fish Market Square, on Llano Ponte Street, and also via the pedestrian bridge located at the end of the river promenade, on Conde de Guadalhorce Avenue.
The Center has 300 underground parking spaces.
Text: © Ramón Molleda for asturias.com
