Working from offices in Quito and Madrid, the firm TEC Taller EC – headed by Pablo Castro and Roberto Morales – has won the competition to enlarge the bus terminal of the city of Loja, known as Ecuador’s cultural capital, in the southern part of the country. Its proposal preserves 40% of the existing building and expands the program by 60%, doubling the station’s current capacity. The new layout presents three volumes and seeks to liven up the public space through a large plaza and a multipurpose roof where fairs and exhibitions will be held. The project unfolds on different levels in response to the variable topography of the site, addressing the slope through a ramp access with double height-spaces. Stitching all this together is a a green axis which, with native plants grown on it, gives identity to the building’s interior and regulates its climate through passive strategies. TEC Taller EC