Joint Research Centre | BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group

Located at the former Sevilla EXPO ́92 site, in Isla de la Cartuja, the new 9900 m2 building for the European Commission, ties into the City of Sevilla’s goal to become a global benchmark for sustainability by 2025 and the local vision of the eCitySevilla project to decarbonize and transition Isla de la Cartuja to 100% renewable energy sources. The JRC building will house 12 research units and supporting functions as well as public and private outdoor spaces. The international design competition kicked off in 2021 with 66 offices competing for the project, expected to break ground in 2024.

Inspired by the shaded plazas and streets of Seville, BIG proposes to cover the entire project site with a cloud of solar canopies sheltering the plaza, garden, and research building underneath, akin to the pergolas typical to Seville. The canopies consist of square lightweight PV sheets supported by a forest of slender columns. The roofscape cascades down from the center of the site to a human scale height at its periphery creating a variety of public spaces underneath it.

Underneath, the new Joint Research Centre building is positioned diagonally across the site to connect the JRC directly to the ‘Jardin Americano’ river-front and the Torre Sevilla market in a seamless continuous public space that is both plaza and promenade. Placing the building diagonally also creates a new public square on one side of the building and a private garden for the JRC community on the other.

The floorplates of the research centre step back as the building ascends, creating a series of terraces, shaded outdoor spaces for breakouts, relaxation, and informal meetings with views of the city.