The new visitor centre will help promote the values and natural heritage of the National Park.
The Autonomous National Parks Agency has commissioned Ineco to deliver the basic and detailed design for a new visitor centre at Aigüestortes i Estanys de Sant Maurici National Park in Espot, Lleida.
The new facility will help promote the park’s natural heritage while enabling a wider range of educational and visitor activities thanks to its increased capacity. It will also provide the national park with a modern new amenity. Located in the municipality of Espot, the centre has been conceived as a distinctive entrance point to both the park and the village itself, becoming an integral part of the surrounding landscape and the character of the sun-facing hillside.
Designed for a 1,800 m² site, the visitor centre will serve as a recognisable landmark and an attractive focal point for visitors. The architectural concept draws inspiration from the park’s geomorphology, as well as the nearby river and mountain ranges, ensuring seamless integration with its natural setting. Alongside universal accessibility standards, the building will incorporate a contemporary architectural language reflected in its form, internal layout and construction elements.
Aigüestortes i Estanys de Sant Maurici National Park is renowned for its more than 200 lakes, the dramatic peaks of Els Encantats and the distinctive high-mountain meanders that inspired the park’s name. The area is considered one of the most ecologically valuable environments in the Pyrenees, thanks to its rich diversity of lakes, streams, waterfalls, peat bogs, scree slopes, rugged summits and extensive forests of black pine, fir, Scots pine, birch and beech.
This exceptional natural environment provides habitat for a wide variety of alpine and boreal plant and animal species, making the park a site of outstanding ecological and environmental significance. The new visitor centre is expected to enhance the visitor experience while supporting the conservation and interpretation of one of Spain’s most remarkable national parks.
