Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Program:
    Terminals and infrastructure
  • Status:
    Built
  • Surface:
    120 000 m²

The Terrestrial Terminal is located in the north of Guayaquil, facing the Daule River and adjacent to the José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport. The original building from 1985 was in a state of disrepair: its structure damaged, with functional and construction problems, and abandoned levels. Its relationship with the road network and the internal circulations of the site presented significant difficulties.

In 2002, the Terrestrial Terminal Foundation called for a competition by invitation to Latin American architectural studios to carry out the remodeling and development of a new multifunctional building. The complex was to act as a modal interchange that would function as an urban milestone and renew the gateway to Guayaquil.

The urban and architectural proposal seeks to improve the functionality and safety of the project, reduce vehicular and pedestrian congestion, enhance spatial and environmental quality, achieve a contemporary image through respect and careful reading of the existing building, and seek flexible solutions that allow for changes and growth.

The formal proposal is based on the existing architecture, open and capable of being completed. It proposes a contemporary and dynamic language, which with few resources achieves an identifiable and powerful image. These characterizing elements are summarized in metallic structures and sheet metal roofs that cover the original building and protect the second-floor platform area, contribute to its formal redefinition, and support the building's future maintenance; light metal enclosures protect the building's facades with sunshade elements that differentiate between daytime and nighttime transparencies.

Taking advantage of the structural independence of the central modules, the interior spaciousness is maximized. A triple-height ribbon is created with zenithal lighting coming from a continuous skylight that houses the escalators. This large space is the center of horizontal and vertical mobility and allows views of all the sectors of the complex throughout the journey.

In front of the terminal, a large pedestrian space is proposed, a plaza conceived as a neutral, multidirectional space, scaled to the significant contingent of pedestrians accessing the building. A pedestrian flow without interference with vehicular traffic is achieved. The mini-bus terminal is directly connected to the complex through covered galleries. A green area with native species and a fountain is designed to serve as a buffer between the avenue and the internal circulation. A limited spectrum of materials is proposed, aiming for an image of lightness and dynamism, based on walls of plastered and painted masonry, sunshades, brise-soleil, and aluminum sheet breakers, curtain wall, roofs, and metal structures.