Tristaina Solar Viewer

Project: Tristaina Solar Mirator

Location: Pic de Peyreguils, Arcalís, Ordino
Year: 2021
Status: Finished

Tristaina's solar viewfinder is a circular metal structure through which visitors can transit,
and is a large solar clock with the central gnomon, about 27 meters in length, inclined to
42.64,, which is the exact latitude of the point where the viewfinder is located.

Although different geometries were initially worked out, conceptualization and architectural
proposal, by Sergi Riba and Toni Riberaygua, took advantage of the pretext of building a
solar clock to organize a circular panoramic viewing system open to 360 suspended from the
structural system that makes up the gnomon. Its circular shape allows the west to the
Tristaina glacial circus, the south and east to the whole dominion of the Ordino Arcalís
station, and to the north the Auzat valleys, with a view to emblematic peaks such as the Pica
d'Estats.

The objective in designing the viewfinder was to create a light element resting on the
summit by minimizing its impact and creating a sense of buoyancy and lightness.

The 25-meter diameter and 1.5-meter width ring gateway is suspended by a series of
tensors of the tripod's midpoint that configure the clock's gnomon, based on the principle of
a bicycle's wheel.

One of the challenges of the project has been the realization of a work at 2700 meters
altitude with limited accessibility: the viewpoint is 350m from any point accessible by
mechanical means, and a slope of about 75m must be bridged along a path ridge the
mountain to reach it. This conditioned the supply of materials and equipment, forcing only
helicopters and remittances no more than 900 kg in weight, which is why it has been vital to
align the overall design of the project with the constructive process itself. Apart from the
complexities inherent in the materialization of such a work, the realization of the structure
has also been one of the other major challenges, by Lluís Moya and Cristian Fernández of
BAC engineering.

The structural challenge has been to approach the efforts of the viewfinder structure to
traction and compression, leaving aside a structure that works at flexion as structural
solutions do in most viewfinders

The privileged position of the Tristaina viewpoint has led to the design being formulated
within the framework of the circular economy, the minimization of work waste and
sustainability. The proposed constructive system is totally unmountable by means of snail
joints. Finally, as regards contributing to sustainability, it has been addressed by reducing
the amount of material and resources as much as possible.
The project, which has been promoted by SECNOA's main partner Joan Viladomat and
carried out by the architectural study Toni Riberaygua and engineer Sergi Riba.