Almazán Main Square
Spain CCC ES
Churtichaga + Quadra-Salcedo Arquitectos
2013
Type
Public Space
Tags
public spaces, renovations, spaces of encounter, Spain ccc
Visitability
Allowed
Description
Surrounded by extraordinary monumental buildings, the Plaza Mayor (main square) of Almazán is a clear example of a Castilian plaza in a historic town. Its location at a vantage point and by one of the bends in the Duero River, make it a public space of high landscape value, sharing the limelight with the 12th-century wall, the 15th-century Hurtado de Mendoza Palace and the 12th-century church of San Miguel.The requirements of the tender called by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda and the Local Government of Almazán insisted on addressing the road traffic issue in the square, removing the obstacles that made it inaccessible and restructuring the outdated infrastructure network in order to use the space as a centre for activities and local festivities. Through the topography, the street furniture, the urban layout and the materiality of the paving, the project takes up the original rectangular configuration described by Pascual Madoz in 1845 and reclaims spaces such as the ‘rinconada’ (incoming angle formed at the junction of two elements). The area for vehicles, which previously occupied a large part of the square, was reduced and pedestrians regained their leading role in the public space, while the monumental surroundings regained the historical significancethey had lost. The project was rounded off with specific interventions inareas of its immediate surroundings, giving the square a more global dimension in terms of its relationship with the city and the landscape. In this sense, a new staircase was designed to connect the square with the Ronda del Duero, which runs alongside the river, thus resolving the difference in height and the connection between these two spaces. In addition, two new viewpoints connecting the square with the beautiful landscape were added to complete the intervention in the perimeter areas: one located at the Postigo de San Miguel, on the wall, with access from the Plaza Mayor and views over the landscape; and the other over the Duero River, with access from the Ronda del Duero. Finally, the use of a cantilevered structure that minimises contact with the existing buildings allows the new structures to integrate respectfully with the historic skyline of Almazán.(Description provided by the architects)