Located in Medellin, Colombia, the Police Station Belén features an innovative architectural design that came from the concept that public buildings serve as the icons of the neighborhood. Completed in December 2008, the project features Sun Louver Softwave 50 and façade panels FS 300 from Hunter Douglas de Colombia S.A., Bogota, Colombia.
The challenge was to break the traditional paradigms of design for a police station: dark, gray, closed, restrictive and dangerous, and create a colorful, warm, open and illuminated facility.
The building is a box of light that at both day and night stands out in the landscape, thanks to the Sun Louver Softwave 50. At night the façade transforms the building into a beacon of light, thanks to the transparency of the perforated sun louver.
The station has three levels: the basement is for private police use and is where the parking lots are located; the first floor has community offices, an auditorium for 50 people, a fitness center and a restaurant; while the second floor has 120 bedrooms for police members, with common areas. Inside, the building is built in light gray concrete that allows light to reflect. On the second level, the façade panels FS 300 were used.
The architects on the project were Empresa de Desarrollo Urbano, Medellin, and Taller de Diseño, Marabella, Malaga.
Hunter Douglas Contract., www.hunterdouglascontract.com
