Son Malferit Fire Station by Jordi Herrero

The new fire station in Son Malferit realised by Jordi Herrero meets at high speed one of the main motorways leading out of Palma. Covered in stainless steel netting, it appears as a living structure, supple and imposing towards the cars, which pass it at speed. But, slowing down, the mass dilutes and reveals through the transparency of the facade, the activity of the firemen within.

The building seems to emerge naturally from the ground, its program rigorously transitioning from public to professional spaces. It is divided into three different levels. A regular tram system of columns maintains the concrete structure, offering a 'free plan' that allows the architects to play with the different qualities of the space. Negotiating between the enclosed and the opened, the space communicates the idea of fluidity.
Pre-fabricated coloured blocks containing specific functions determine the usage. They appear movable. Independent from the general structure and connected by corridors, they complete the space by unveiling their role, and adopting the role of vital organs in the body of the firehouse. Indeed, these cells grant for coherent understanding of the program.

From open space to isolated space, from the exhibition hall to dormitories, the visitor finds himself in a systematic ritual. The simple distribution leads to a natural movement through the program. A play on transparency distinguishes the public areas, open and more intimate, which the firemen pass through day by day. The station dedicates a space to learning about the profession, by incorporating an often young and curious public.
Next to the entry is a large 'free plan' area with generous floor to ceiling space.
Independently, the firemen can train themselves on the lower ground level and access the outside exercises.

The spaces are filtered. The optical effects, via transparency and opacity, guide the passing. The clarity of the distribution allows the user to wave around efficiently and immediately responding to emergencies. The passage is natural. The braided cladding, pre-fabricated non-load bearing walls, bay windows: every material is meticulously positioned in order to combine curiosity and the supple nature of the project throughout a charged and complex program.

Simple, but efficient is the overriding message by Jordi Herrero and his team. What seems to be a sentinel of the motorway is in fact a program where the speed and kinetics are the key ingredients in a profession based on urgency.

Project team: Jordi Herrero, Sebastián Escanellas, Gabriel Palmer y Juan G. Valls
Competition: 2003
Project: 2009
Structure: Fernando Purroy
Structural Engineering: PGDI
Building Company: Constructora San José y Llabrés Feliu
Collaborateurs: Finsa (GKD), Iguzzini y Trespa.
Total Area: 10.000 m2
Overall cost: 13.000.000 €