Centre meteorològic Vila Olímpica (Álvaro Siza)

The weather centre, designed by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza and completed in 1992, was part of the Olympic Village urban development scheme. It stands on the seafront promenade between the Olympic Marina and the Nova Icària beach away from the surrounding buildings. Siza won the Pritzker Prize in 1992 and his project consists of a single cylindrical volume divided vertically into two sections by two distinct finishes. The lower section has three storeys and is made of exposed concrete, whereas the upper floors are clad in white stone. Vertical openings break up the uniformity of the volume but lend it coherence and allow light inside the building. There are a series of minor variations in the cylinder, such as the two sections cut out of the lower part of the building, which create symmetrical canopies and mark the underground entrance to Carrer Arquitecte Sert. They place part of the cylinder below ground level, breaking with the straight lines of the seafront promenade. A prism protruding subtlely from the base marks one of the entrances. The interior has an eight-sided floor plan with two distinct areas of flexible office space. These are complemented by radial staircases and a circular central courtyard.