Digital Reconstruction of Unbuilt Architectures: Sergio Hutter’s Design for the Euro-Kursaal in San Sebastian, Spain

Abstract

This contribution intends to propose the study, undertaken through digital representation tools, of an unrealized work by architect Sergio Hutter, active from the Second World War until the end of the last century. The analyzed design was proposed by Hutter for the international competition of the Euro-Kursaal in San Sebastian (Spain, 1964). The research work proposes the digital reconstruction of the project, starting from the documentation available, including a plastic model, in a path of critical re-reading of the original sources. The goal is an interpretation that, using different representation techniques gives back in a complete way the architectural object, revealing aspects not yet highlighted of the work in its context. In this specific case the challenge is to break down the architecture both from a formal and functional point of view to order the different units according to a classification into homogeneous groups, in search of the guiding principles of the design. Then it is possible to recompose the design process, communicated in its values through appropriate representations.