Continuous overhead light and transparency
In Llorente de Tibás, north of the metropolitan area of the city of San José, lies the Asebanacio Office Complex. An initiative of the Association of Employees of the National Bank of Costa Rica in order to house the association itself, as well as being able to accommodate other institutional venues. It currently houses more than 200 employees and different agencies of the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Commerce of Costa Rica.
Located in a small scale dense urban plot, and in the process of transforming residential use to commercial and services, it is located on an irregular plot bordering the intersection of two high-traffic national transport links. Two levels of parking were built into the natural slope of the terrain, arranged in a basement and semi-basement that form a base on which the main level is erected.
The ground floor is the main entrance, where the building can be accessed through a small covered plaza that acts as a large urban hall, consisting of a wide twelve metre overhang. The building is completed by five full floors of offices, plus a recessed end rooftop, with amazing views, and features meeting rooms, relaxation areas and terraces.
This office building is projected as a set of interwoven and juxtaposed levels, which never exceed two stories high. The jagged designs, large platforms and frills in the facades as well as the use of lattices of prefabricated concrete slats, allow the control of direct sunlight and reducing the heat impact inside, favouring the light that enters from the north. An interior patio topped by a skylight, as an atrium, surrounded by a circulation area, provides overhead light and ventilation to the heart of the building, becoming a distinctive architectural element in the structure.
A spacious and fresh-looking interior that is bathed in natural light was something that was well sought after. Thus, smooth ceramic finishes, in neutral tones, and ceilings topped in white were used.
The stairs are meant to show the visible concrete. Railing is installed within the concrete featuring GlassFit SV-1402 tempered glass from Comenza, whose profile of anodised aluminium allows for the rails to be simply installed by sliding them into the frames. In addition to the handrail model, a planned design of stainless steel rounded profiles allows to cleanly and comfortably hold meetings without needing to miss out on the view.
The GlassFit SV-1401 model was selected for the central patio, also with glass panels and a stainless steel finish, and whose design, including the support profile, made of aluminium, is perfectly integrated into the building.
The high transparency of the glass used in this system of rails allows you to make the most of the overhead light, favouring its expansion both in the central atrium and in the stairwells and reaffirming one of the fundamental concepts of the project.
Oficentro Asebanacio
San José, Costa Rica
- GlassFit Flow SV-1401, GlassFit Flow SV-1402 y Handrail
