ID reconstruction of Moorish baths.

LOCATION

BAZA, SPAIN

ARCHITECT

IBANEZ ARQUITECTOS

WRITER

CATHERINE SLESSOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

FERNANDO ALDA

Baza, in the northern part of Granada province, is one of the oldest settlements in Spain. Colonised by the Moors, it still bears the powerful archaeological traces of their occupation. Among these is a finely preserved ensemble of Moorish baths located beside the town's mosque in the historic area known as Marazuela. Dating from the 13th century, the remains were originally discovered just over 100 years ago and have become a fixture on the tourist circuit. However, until recently they had not fared well, lying partially unearthed and completely decontextualised, surrounded by a scrubby concrete block wall.

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Ibanez Arquitectos was given the obvious practical task of restoring and protecting the remains, but this project has a more subtle aim--to recreate the spatial and experiential qualities of a Moorish bathhouse. Dedicated to the pleasures of cleansing and relaxation, these were refuges of exquisite sensuality, heightened by the interaction of light, shade, water and steam. Set in a system of barrel-vaulted and domed brick chambers, the Baza baths consisted of a large, warm pool and smaller cold and hot baths, together with an entrance patio and wood store. Light percolated through star-shaped incisions in the vaults, shafting atmospherically into the steamy gloom. Early watercolour sketches by the architect attempt to evoke this nuanced play of light.

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Using the techniques and materials familiar to Moorish artisans, Ibanez Arquitectos' refurbishment carefully reconstructs the vaults and domes, complete with star-shaped skylights, so that the baths are fully enclosed once more. Like a Russian doll, the repaired structure is in turn enclosed in a small, blind pavilion at street level. Fabricated from raw concrete panels, this pavilion contains a viewing hall, from which the domed and vaulted geometry of the restored roof can be surveyed before visitors descend into the baths below. Above, on the roof of the pavilion, an array of truncated conical skylights channels light into this interstitial space, from where it filters down through the 'starlights' to illuminate the chambers of the baths. To ensure adequate levels of light penetration, digital modelling was used to calculate the size, shape and position of the new skylights.

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This makes it sound a bit prosaic, but the actual experience is far from it. Scintillating around the chambers, the light has a magical, mysterious quality. And though none of the bathing pools now contain water, part of the damaged floor of the hot chamber is recreated in glass, which suggests the presence of a shimmering, reflective surface. A limited palette of modern materials sharpens the contrast between the historic and the contemporary. Along with concrete and glass, new elements are executed in Cor-ten steel, varnished to darken its surface. Gracefully bridging six centuries, the project not only consolidates the physical remnants of the baths, but also reanimates their intangible, sensual aura.