La Granja Stairs
Spain CCC ES
Martínez Lapeña-Torres Arquitectos
2000
Type
Urban Infrastructures
Tags
urban fluxes, heritage sites interventions, Spain ccc
Visitability
Allowed
Description
The old town of Toledo is situated on top of a hill, in a meander of the Tajo River. The need to restrict traffic within the intricate urban fabric meant that the special plan included a large car park on the northern boundary to allow visitors to visit without saturating the city. To connect this entrance to the historic city, the architects have proposed an escalator that respects the landscape and heritage. Only a few small gaps in the hillside, which are lit up at night, bear witness to its presence. The visitor takes a zig-zagging route that avoids the sensation of vertigo when crossing the slope and provides a spatial experience as a way of acclimatisation for what remains to be experienced in the streets of the city of La Mancha.