Almazan Main Square

7/24/2019 Almazan Main Square

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Almazan Main Square / ch+qs arquitectosBookmark this picture!

FernandoGuerra | FG+SG

Architects: ch+qs arquitectos

Location: Almazn, Soria, Spain

Design Team:Josemara de Churtichaga, Nathanael pez,

Joaquin "i#eiro, $artn Bil%ao

Collaborators: Nathanael pez, $auro &oncel, Juan de la

'orre

Contractor: (') Almazn *"o#er Alcisa+ormisoria

Budget: -,-./,01234. 5

Photograhs: 6ernando 7uerra 8 67+S7
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From the architect. !riginal Situation

Settled in the middle o" the Castillian Landscae# the historical to$n o" Alma%an aears

strategicall& on the to o" a $alled hill# and in the higher oint is $here the historical

remains are surrounded b& the ia%%a# $ith a strong medie'al (a'or)

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Surrounded b& e*traordinar& monumental buildings# the Pla%a a&or de Alma%an is shaed

as a clear e*amle o" ,Sanish S-uare, in the historic cit&) .ts location on to o" a

$atchto$er and the edge o" a meander o" the Douro ri'er# ma/es it a ublic sace $ith a
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great landscae 'alue# sharing the limelight $ith the s0.. 1all# the Palace o" 2urtado de

endo%a 3s)045 and the Church o" San iguel 3s0..5)

.n the edition o" ,Statistical Ga%etteer6historical6Sain and its o'erseas ossessions,# editedb& Pascual ado% in 789# one o" the earliest descritions o" the Pla%a de Alma%an# the

s-uare is described as ,nearl& er"ect rectangular#, and added as a notable "eature that

,onl& has a corner),



Prior to our inter'ention# the lace retained its original "orm and its grim character# but it

$as largel& occuied b& sur"ace car ar/ing and 'arious obstacles; the cit& and its

inhabitants detected this and man& others shortcomings $hich $ere re(ected in a re'ious

reort# $hich insired the dra"ting o" the seci


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Also "rom the beginning $e $ere as/ed to rescue the historic connection $ith the beauti"ul

surrounding landscae# "acilitating the direct outut "rom the s-uare to the old $alls o'er

the ri'er Douro# and sol'ing the stair to go do$n to the ri'er)

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.nter'ention Purose

The commission $as obtained in the oen ideas cometition organi%ed b& the Alma%an Cit&

Council in =>>8 to sol'e a list o" roblems and necessities neighbours and rulers detected in

their to$n)

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The list o" contest rules called "or achie'ing ,concetual# t&ological and architectural Pla%a#

its connection to the Paseo de ?onda and the streets rushing it),

The municialit& $anted to ,create a continuous (oor sreading throughout the Pla%a

absorbing the e*isting sloes and sol'ing the roblems o" accessibilit& to historic buildings

that de


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Also to release the ma*imum ar/ing saces "or the Pla%a area in order to ha'e a better use

as "ree urban saces) Semi6edestriani%e the area $ould also ser'e to enhance trade in the

area# and leisure ser'ices)

2ighlight the historic buildings located in lighting that is distinct "rom general illumination

and reorder the street "urniture# trees and 'egetation tr&ing not to inter"ere $ith tra@c %one

3residual5 and the assage o" rocessions # "reeing the central area o" the Pla%a)

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1 $ere also as/ed "or ade-uatel& resol'e the relationshi o" the s-uare $ith the toograh&

immediatel& to the ri'er and the scener& distinguishing "eature o" this s-uare $ith the t&e

characteristic o" the Pla%a a&or Castellana)

Thus# $e must establish a 'isual relationshi bet$een the geometric center o" the s-uare

and the 'ie$oints on the Duero integrating them in the Pla%a) ?edesigning the se-uence o"

'ie$oints o" the ri'er and the $oods surrounding the Pla%a) Creating a $al/ing tour around

San iguel and the Cit& through gate$a&s# (o$n items# etc))

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?esecting the burial o" the recentl& e*ecuted in"rastructure net$or/s and ma/e

connections to e*isting in"rastructure and bur& the containers "or selecti'e collection o"

$aste) ,

These re-uirements $ere intended to address a budget o" around =#>>#>>>

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.nter'ention Descrition


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?eshaing the Pla%a a&or de Alma%an carried out a"ter his election as the $inning roosal

.deas Contest organi%ed b& the inistr& o" 2ousing and the Cit& o" Alma%an in =>>8) The

inter'ention# )>>m aro*imatel "ocuses on the reco'er& o" the historical 'alues o" the

Pla%a and its relationshi to the cultural and landscae in $hich it is located)


Fernando

Guerra | FG+SG

Through the toograh the "urniture# the traces and the materialit& o" the a'ement# the

roEect strengthens the original con


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The remodeling is comleted sol'ing immediate surrounding areas gi'e the Pla%a a global

dimension in their relationshi $ith the cit& and the landscae) .t casts a ne$ staircase that

connects the Pla%a a&or to the ?ound o" the Douro that runs along the ri'er# thus resol'ing

the diIerence in height and connecti'it& bet$een these t$o areas) .n turn# the


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comositional design o" the ladder is dra$n into the landscae outside the $alls as a can'as

$all that comlements the la&out o" the historic $all)

.mortant oint o" the roosal $ere the t$o ne$ 'ie$oints that ,se$, the s-uare $ith thebeauti"ul surrounding landscae: one in San iguel o" the $all# $ith access "rom the ain

S-uare# o'erloo/ing the landscae# and another on the ri'er Duero# $ith access "rom ?ound

?i'er $hich comletes the action in erimeter %ones) Li/e the ladder# the 'ie$oints in the

scene $ere concei'ed as timeless architectural elements) The choice o" $ood as main

material and the use o" a cantile'ered structure that minimi%es contact $ith e*isting

buildings# enabling integration o" these ne$ buildings resecting the historical ersecti'e o"

Alma%an)

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J'aluation

The rede'eloment o" the Pla%a# once o'ercome the discom"ort o" the construction $or/s#

has gi'en a ne$ roEection o" the old to$n o" Alma%an)


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Peole no$ enEo& the terraces o" the bars laced in the s-uare# the sace gained to the car

and rest under trees in rela*ing areas)


Tourists and residents# man& o" them retired# can e*erience a comletel& accessible

ar/our)

The 'ie$oints ,recariousl&,cantile'ered are a ne$ attraction "or locals and tourists# $ho

in a brie" gesture can send the urban en'ironment to enEo& the s/&line and landscae)
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The er"ormance has digni

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Almazan Main Square