Following the announcement of the results of an international competition in June 2005, the British architect, together with his Spanish partners, the Barcelona workshop b720, had little time before construction began to finalize his project. Chipperfield is known for his thoroughness and attention to detail, but despite this, he did not give up on the task before him. He thought over his decision of the building so that, after the completion of the main volume of work by May 2006, the pavilion, or as it is officially called, Edificio Veles e Vents, would be ready to host guests and participants of the qualifying competitions for the America's Cup, held under the auspices of Louis Vuitton. For the main sailing races, which will take place in 2007, the building will be completely ready.
But even now the building looks more than worthy. Its similarity to the visualizations of the project that brought Chipperfield's victory last year is pleasantly surprising.
In general, the pavilion resembles an ocean liner docked in the port of Valencia. The tiers of the bright white building look like the decks of a ship. A ramp leads from the level of the plaza in front of the building to its first floor, where the restaurant and information counter for the racers are located. The second has shops and outdoor terraces overlooking the harbor. The last two floors are occupied by administrative offices and V. I. P. stands for America's Cup guests and Louis Vuitton. Thus, public and private functions are combined in the pavilion.
The building also plays an important urban planning role: it is the center of a new development strip on the site of abandoned docks. Shops, spectator stands, a parking lot and a park that will link this coastal area with the city will soon appear around.
