panorama arquitectos: glacial water bottling plant

‘water bottling plant’ by panorama arquitectos, queulat fjord, chile
all images courtesy of panorama arquitectos

chilean practice panorama arquitectos were commissioned to build a water bottling plant at the base of a glacial cascade in patagonia’s queulat national park, three hours from the nearest town. the architects sought out a sensible design approach that wouldn’t retract from its pristine site. the 6 meter tall building is coated with a glass skin covered in black opaque film, creating a chameleon-like effect that reflects the landscape.  the envelope assures a weatherproof seal capable of withstanding the extreme conditions as it helps to hide the structure amongst the trees. the square 18 x 18 meter plant is also built upon a tapered base 1.5 meters tall to avoid winter flooding from the nearby river. the bolted steel structure was designed with recycling in mind so that the entire construct can be taken down and its parts re-used. the interior is broken up into two main sections. the full-height space is used for the bottling functions and smaller wooden modules of a single-story height house the individual offices.

reflected landscape in the facade

glacial run-off

tapered site elevates the structure above a flood zone

lower offices connect to the full-height plant area

mezzanine level

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