GOE - GASTRONOMY OPEN ECOSYSTEM | BIG | Bjarke Ingels Group

BIG’s design proposal for Gastronomy Open Ecosystem (GOe) at the heart of San Sebastian bridges science, gastronomy, and nature to promote culinary research, innovation, and enjoyment.

The Basque Culinary Center, a pioneering gastronomic institution, launched the international design competition for the new food innovation hub in 2021 with the mission to bring food start-ups, researchers, and chefs under one roof. GOe will continue the development of alternative proteins, agricultural robotics, prevention of food waste, and much more from their new BIG-designed building.

Wedged between the edge of San Sebastian and mount Ulia, GOe is situated in a terrain with a 10-meter height difference. The new building gently rises from the ground floor, utilizing the height difference to preserve and enhance the existing park qualities at the site while creating connections to the adjacent Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route and the Cantabrian Sea.

At the street level, the new GOe sets back to create a covered public plaza directly connected to the Camino de Santiago pilgrims’ path, establishing the building as a meeting point between culture, gastronomy, and the city. The building rises to create a series of terraces and recessed windows displaying the activity in the kitchens, labs and classes to the public.

Daily users and visitors enter directly into the Gastro Hall, the backbone of GOe. This central space runs from the ground floor all the way to the roof. Like a promenade, the grand staircase connects all programmes and levels within the building and doubles as an amphitheatre for events and lectures, allowing visitors to observe the showcase kitchens and ongoing research during their visit. Climbing the stairs, visitors can continue into the auditorium, public terraces, or experience world-class cuisine at the top floor restaurant.

The food labs and offices are designed to offer maximum flexibility, with open classrooms, laboratories, and kitchens that can be rearranged for different purposes due to the generous height and width of the spaces. All kitchens and laboratories feature industrial materials for hygiene and maintenance, while public programs use natural materials such as wood and stone to create a welcoming atmosphere.

The building’s continuous terraces offer different programs – such as orchards, restaurant terraces, and a landscaped auditorium for outdoor events – that allow daily users and visitors to experience nature as well as the activities and creativity of GOe.

PROJECT TEAM

Partners-in-Charge: Bjarke Ingels, Joäo Albuquerque

Project Leader: Matthew Reger

Team: Gonzalo Coronado, José Gómez, Klaudia Szczepanowska, Natalia Politano, Pietro Saccardi, Hanna Johansson, Wiktoria Kolakowska

BIG Engineering: Andrea Hektor, Johan Lindqvist

BIG Landscape: Laura Font Gallart

BIG Sustainability : Tore Banke, Cosmin Paduraru