The building and park were the social focal point for the 2007 America’s Cup-the world’s premier offshore racing competition, staged in Europe for the first time in over 150 years following Swiss Team Alinghi’s win over Team New Zealand in 2003, and the selection of Valencia as host city. The Louis Vuitton Cup started in April 2007 and the climax, the 32nd America’s Cup match, started at the end of June 2007.

The America’s Cup Building “Veles e Vents”(Sails and Winds) was completed within 11 months of winning the competition in June 2005. The building and its accompanying park were successfully opened in time for the preliminary regattas, staged in May and June 2006. The centrepiece of the reorganisation of Valencia’s industrial port, “Veles e Vents” provided a central base for all America’s Cup teams and sponsors, as well as being a venue for the public to view the racing.

“Veles e Vents” connects directly to a new park, built above 15,000 square metres of car parking. A “tail” of elevated public spectator decks stretches out from the building into the port, with bars, restaurants, and information points. The decks overlook a newly excavated canal that links the port to the offshore racing courses. To the north, a new 100,000 square metre park links the city to the new seafront. The 10,000 square metre, four-floor concrete building is composed of a series of stacked and shifting horizontal planes that provide shade and uninterrupted views extending out to sea. Cantilevered floor slabs-the largest reaching out 15 metres-create the outdoor viewing decks that surround each floor. 60 percent of the building is taken up by outdoor space.

The building’s ground floor acts as the reception area for the VIP facilities and has a canal-facing public restaurant and bar. The first floor is entirely open to the public with retail facilities, a bar, and a generous viewing deck connecting directly to the park via a separate ramp. The second and third floors house the VIP facilities-the “Foredeck Club”, a restaurant, a wellness centre, and lounges for the America’s Cup Management, Louis Vuitton, and Consorcia Valencia 2007. “Veles e Vents” utilises a reduced palette of materials-white painted steel trims the edges of the concrete structure, the ceiling is constructed of white metal panels incorporating linear recessed lighting, the external floors are solid Brazilian timber decking, and the internal floors are white resin. Simple, brightly coloured furniture offsets the predominant whiteness of the structure, and distinguished the different areas within the building.

Client: Consorcio Valencia 2007
Gross Floor Area: 10,000 m2 Building
                  15,000 m2 Parking
                  100,000 m2 Park
Design Architect: David Chipperfield

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