Local architecture studio Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos has completed Farrapona Geological Viewpoint, a looping lookout jutting over a mountain pass in Someido, northern Spain.
The weathered-steel viewpoint was built at Alto de la Farrapona, the summit of Saliencia Valley in the Cantabrian Mountains, which is the highest mountain pass accessible by road in the province of Asturias.
Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos’ concept was to create a “ribbon-like” platform to provide 360-degree views at the popular beauty spot.
“The goal was to create a circular viewpoint, allowing anyone to enter, contemplate the exceptional 360-degree landscape, and exit again,” said Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos’ co-founder Jose Ramon Puerto.
Along the platform, visitors are invited to read informational displays identifying nine visible points of geological interest. These take the form of plates placed between the railings, preventing them from becoming excessively prominent.
Farrapona Geological Viewpoint consists of a bow-like loop, formed of nine parts that were prefabricated in a specialised metal workshop more than 100 kilometres from the final site. They were then transported by truck and assembled and placed in their final position using a crane.
The elements are supported by an inverted pyramid of four columns, minimising the viewpoint’s contact with the ground.
Hollow beams with a series of brackets welded on both sides support the pavement and railings set 10 centimetres apart to provide transparency for the structure.
From the outset, Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos’ goal for Farrapona Geological Viewpoint was to use a material that was as low-maintenance as possible, given its remote location that reaches temperatures of minus 20 degrees Celsius in winter and close to 30 degrees Celsius in summer.
Weathering steel was chosen because it requires little maintenance, unlike other materials such as wood, which would be affected by this significant temperature difference.
The deck is made of sheet metal with teardrop-shaped perforations, designed to prevent accumulation of water and snow in winter. According to the studio, this also creates a “musical sound” in the wind.
“When the wind blows, the viewpoint ‘sings’, emitting a musical sound that produces an unintended but suggestive effect,” explained Puerto.
Farrapona Geological Viewpoint is wheelchair accessible, with a platform maintaining the same elevation at both entry and exit points.
Puerto & Sánchez Arquitectos’ design was the winning entry of a competition led by local authority Somiedo Town Hall. It forms part of a larger initiative to highlight ethnographic, landscaping and geological points of interest in Asturias.
Other viewpoints recently features on Dezeen include a sculptural concrete lookout point on Belgian coast by Studio Moto and a treetop walkway by EFFEKT that is accessible to “all nature lovers”.
The photography is by Jose Ramón Puerto Álvarez.
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