The smallest façade

This intervention resulted in the construction of the smallest building within the complex of structures that constitute the Colegio San Ignacio in Pamplona-Iruña, Spain—an architectural ensemble comprising various additions initiated in the mid-20th century.

The new building served a multitude of functions: a basement extension to house a boiler room, a daily-use chapel, a new sacristy, the removal of architectural barriers throughout the complex, an extension of the existing elevator shaft, an auditorium and *aula magna*, and a multi-purpose terrace.

The open courtyard occupied by this project required a specific urban planning approval, as it was a residual space—previously used as a coal bunker and dog kennels—heavily constrained by site alignments and floor levels established in 1950, yet entirely disconnected from the regulations currently in force in contemporary Pamplona.

While lacking a distinct façade facing the main street, the building does possess its own façade on its western—or rear—elevation, visible only from a private interior courtyard shared with an adjacent government building.

The façade of this new structure had to resolve the challenge posed by the narrow, nine-meter void separating the pre-existing buildings.

These nine unobstructed meters of façade represented the sole void within a cohesive complex where exposed brick is the predominant material.

Surprisingly, our building’s design was resolved by drawing inspiration from an unexpected structural element: the boundary wall. We adopted its texture, materiality, and color, thereby liberating the composition of the new façade from the overwhelming presence of the built masses flanking it on both sides—freeing it from the imposition of an obsolete, no-longer-manufactured exposed brick, and from geometric alignments that bore no relation to the new function of the interior space.

Approval of this design decision allowed us to project the new façade forward, beyond the existing alignments of the adjacent buildings; this maneuver increased the usable interior floor area—addressing the primary spatial deficiency of the site.

By focusing our attention on this previously insignificant boundary wall, we were able to circumvent the compositional dilemma of having to bridge two pre-existing yet independent buildings—structures that were more *similar* than *identical*, having been constructed for disparate purposes and at different points in time. Internally, this solution afforded us the independence to freely accommodate the intended functions of the new building; externally, it allowed us to seamlessly integrate the pre-existing garden into the new complex.

While remaining the smallest façade within a complex spanning over 140 meters in length, this small chapel found a dignified role for its rear elevation by—paradoxically—assuming a prominent position within the ensemble, analogous to a keystone in a semicircular arch.