lime-green ceramic facade creates a new gateway to EL POLI
The transformation of EL POLI by meii estudio gives La Unión’s municipal sports center in Murcia, Spain, a new architectural and energetic identity. The intervention at La Unión’s municipal sports center, locally known as EL POLI, is structured around two complementary elements that redefine a beloved local landmark, with a primary focus on both energy production and consumption.
A vivid lime-green entrance creates a clear and welcoming gateway to the complex, while a folded photovoltaic canopy rises above the stands, its geometry shaped by the sun. Together, these two interventions generate renewable energy, improve comfort, and establish a bold new presence within La Unión’s distinctive mining landscape.
Serving as a welcoming gateway between the city and the sports complex, the renovated entrance building unifies essential programs, like changing rooms, offices, and the cafeteria, under a strong horizontal identity. Clad in a ventilated ceramic facade of vivid lime-green ribbed tiles, it contrasts with the local mining landscape. A fully foldable metal facade at its entrance dissolves the boundary between the town and the facilities, creating a versatile public threshold. The design team at meii estudio refers to these two elements as EL POLI Y LA PERGOLA.
all images ©meii estudio
LA PÉRGOLA folds photovoltaic panels into a dynamic canopy
The centrepiece of the project transforms a pure energy infrastructure into a striking architectural element. Designed by Murcia-based architectural practice meii estudio, to maximise solar energy production, its form is driven entirely by function: the optimal south-facing orientation and inclination of the photovoltaic panels, calculated precisely to the latitude of La Unión, generate a sequence of folded planes with a distinctive sawtooth profile.
Constructed using a robust three-dimensional steel structure and clad in blue metal sheeting, LA PÉRGOLA constantly shifts in appearance as natural light evolves. This creates a vibrant visual dialogue with the green ceramic entrance building while providing essential shade for the existing football stands.
Together, the lime-green entrance and the dynamic blue solar canopy succeed on multiple levels: they supply clean, renewable energy to the complex, improve user comfort, and forge a powerful new architectural identity for La Unión.
EL POLI is La Unión’s municipal sports center in Murcia, Spain
lime-green ribbed ceramic tiles clad the entrance building’s ventilated facade
Estudio EA