Pasajes is a small fishing port in the Basque Country located at the foot of the mountains, and it was the mountainous landscape that became the starting point for the work of the architects. As in the projects that brought them fame, they created not just a building, but something more: an artificial terrain. Partly landscaped, partly paved with stone slabs and planks, it will become the center of the harbor reconstruction, a key public space and a recreational area for the townspeople.
The recreational function is also important for the building itself: the architects ventured to combine it with the industrial component - the fish exchange announced in the competition. For loading and unloading fish and making transactions, the first floor of a building erected near the water is set aside. The upper levels will contain a cafe, an auditorium and other spaces the city needs, even one of the facades will be turned into stands for a summer theater. Underground parking will be arranged under the slope of an artificial "hill".
The complex with a preliminary budget of 15 million euros is planned to be built by 2012.
