GOe (Gastronomy Open Ecosystem) building in San Sebastián

About

A project of the Basque Culinary Center, this building fuses science and gastronomy in spaces designed for experiments, research, technological development, and education in the food sector. Encompassing an area of about 9,000 m², the Gastronomy Open Ecosystem sits at the foot of Mount Ulía, in San Sebastián’s Gros neighborhood. Built partly underground, it adapts to the 10-meter level difference of the site by means of a landscaped roof that works as a public square, open to the city and an architectural prolongation of the urban fabric. The winner of the competition held for the purpose in 2021, BIG’s design presents a construction that rises from the terrain to offer a civic plinth, a terrace, and a large stairway connecting the different levels. Thought up to accommodate changing programs for gastronomic research, training, and entrepreneurship, GOe provides kitchens, laboratories, classrooms, and co-working facilities that can be easily reconfigured thanks to flexible technical systems. From its stepped roof, which evokes the flysch formations of the Basque coast, the building through large windows opens out to the landscape, allowing passers-by to watch the culinary activities ongoing inside. GOe thus asserts itself as a hub for food innovation, a vibrant space where creativity and gastronomy join hands to fuel the future of the sector.