Reconnect with the present. Renovation of the «plane» environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura
09/06/2023.
[Alhama de Murcia] Spain
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
metalocus, OSCAR A. SÁNCHEZ
Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura studio designed a landscape intervention on the remains of a building that was never finished. The site rehabilitation project is located in the Sierra Espuña Natural Park, in the Bajo Guadalentín natural region, in the town of Alhama de Murcia in Spain.
The remains of this building were intended to be a rest residence for the Air Force, but it was not carried out due to the outbreak of the Civil War. Its most notable feature was its shape, resembling an airplane that had risen in the middle of the mountain. The shape responds to the first stylistic proposals of Modernity, which had as a reference the new means of communication in nautical and aviation.
The project was one of the 16 projects selected in the Exterior Sapces category for the AHI European Award – Architectural Heritage Intervention.
The remains of this building were intended to be a rest residence for the Air Force, but it was not carried out due to the outbreak of the Civil War. Its most notable feature was its shape, resembling an airplane that had risen in the middle of the mountain. The shape responds to the first stylistic proposals of Modernity, which had as a reference the new means of communication in nautical and aviation.
The project was one of the 16 projects selected in the Exterior Sapces category for the AHI European Award – Architectural Heritage Intervention.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by MuB foto.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by MuB foto.
Axonometry. Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura.
Sketch of the project of the year 1945. Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura.
Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura designed a landscaping intervention transforming the footprint left by the walls of the original building, a water tank located in what would be the nose of the plane, the pool pit, and a small nondescript construction built in the 1980s. The remains are in the middle of a wooded area that has been invading the area, generating an attractive coexistence between ruins and nature.
The project is approached following two guidelines. The first is to recover the shape of the plane by disassembling the elements foreign to the original project, regularizing the heights, and facilitating a clear understanding of the space. For this, recovered stone and mortars made with local soil were used to restore parts worn over time in a sustainable way. The circular holes that evoke the morphology of the plane were also restored.
The second action is to turn the area into a playful space and viewpoint of the environment. "The base of the pool pit has been filled with beach sand like the one that was originally placed there and that surfaced when clearing." A series of geometric shapes with steel tubes have also been added, inviting visitors to interact with the environment, their use being the free interpretation.
A place in which to discover an unusual past, part of our memory, and a space in which to reconnect with the present through imagination.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
The project is approached following two guidelines. The first is to recover the shape of the plane by disassembling the elements foreign to the original project, regularizing the heights, and facilitating a clear understanding of the space. For this, recovered stone and mortars made with local soil were used to restore parts worn over time in a sustainable way. The circular holes that evoke the morphology of the plane were also restored.
The second action is to turn the area into a playful space and viewpoint of the environment. "The base of the pool pit has been filled with beach sand like the one that was originally placed there and that surfaced when clearing." A series of geometric shapes with steel tubes have also been added, inviting visitors to interact with the environment, their use being the free interpretation.
A place in which to discover an unusual past, part of our memory, and a space in which to reconnect with the present through imagination.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
Project description by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura
This landscaping intervention is carried out on the vestiges of a building that was never completed due to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Its destination was going to be a rest residence for the Air Force and the most remarkable characteristic was its shape because they wanted to lift an airplane in the middle of the mountain.
What has transcended to the present day has been the footprint of some of the building's walls, a water tank located in what would be the nose of the plane, the swimming pool pit, and a nondescript and abandoned construction that was inserted at the beginning of the eighties to offer a restoration service.
In addition, the area surrounding this enclave is a wooded extension that has been invading the area generating an attractive coexistence between ruins and nature. So, given the state of abandonment, deterioration, and disfigurement of the architectural remains, the proposal has tried to recover the historical memory of the place, evoking the romanticism of its conception and emphasizing the fusion between human action and the mountain. To this end, the project has focused on two issues:
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
1 To Reveal The Shape of the Plane
For this purpose, the bodies foreign to the original project are dismantled and the heights are regularized, leaving the perimeter wall higher so it allows to have a clear understanding of the space meanwhile, the interior walls remain at a level that invites to rest.
With recovered stone and mortars made with local soil, some walls that had disappeared with time and despoilment have been replaced in a sustainable way. Lastly, the circular holes that evoke the morphology of the plane have been restored.
2 To Invite Exploration of the Place
Rescuing the middle area as a recreational space and the water tank as a viewpoint.
The base of the pool pit has been filled with beach sand like the one that was originally placed there and that surfaced during the clearing. As a stimulus, a series of geometric shapes have been outlined with a steel tube that invites interaction. Depending on the mood with which one arrives there, a more plastic and contemplative perception or a more physical and creative reaction may predominate. Rest, play, observation, drifting, exploration...
Rehabilitation of the plane environment by Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Photograph by Joaquín Zamora.
On the other hand, reviewing the original footprint of its layout, a staircase has been designed to climb up to the old water tank from where the plane can be seen in all its breadth.
In short, a place has been designed to discover an unusual past and to reconnect with the present through an evocative walk.
- What is this for?
- Whatever you can think.
More information
Architects
Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura. Lead architects.- Patricia Reus, Jaume Blancafort.
Project team
Candy García, Victoria Artés, Contemporary City and Architectural Design R+D+i group, UPCT.
Building Contractor
INGENIERÍA QUIPONS SL.
Developer
General Directorate of the Natural Environment. Ministry of Water, Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and the Environment. Murcia region.
Area
1.730 m².
Dates
2021.
Location
Alhama de Murcia, Spain.
Budget
€153,854.86.
Photography
Joaquín Zamora, MuB foto.
Jaume Blancafort, Patricia Reus. Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura
Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura is a studio based in Barcelona and Murcia, founded and led by Jaume Blancafort and Patricia Reus. They develop architectural projects that cover a wide range of formats and fields; from the design of furniture for an exhibition to the spatial conception of an infrastructure such as an airport terminal; going through officially protected housing or urban plans.
The company, small and with a wide multidisciplinary network of collaborators, has an agility and flexibility that allow a high capacity for adaptation and response to customer needs, with the constant desire to pursue functional and aesthetic excellence. Both founders are professors of Architectural Projects at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura y Edificación de Cartagena.
Patricia Reus (1975) is an architect from ETSAV. She has completed the Research Master's Degree in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Alicante and is a doctor from the same university. She has received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.
Jaume Blancafort (1970) is an architect from the ETSAB. He has completed the Research Master's Degree in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Alicante and is a doctor from the same university. He has received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.
The research lines of the group they co-direct, Contemporary City and Architectural Design, at the UPCT, can be framed in sustainability, participation and care in contemporary architecture and urbanism.
The teaching and research work carried out at the university is directly linked to the creative and technical work carried out through Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura, whose work has been recognized in prestigious competitions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the AR’D Awards in Emerging Architecture (Architectural Review, London), the FAD Awards, the AJAC Awards or the Spanish Architecture Award. This work has also been exhibited in Spain, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, etc. and has been published in numerous specialized architecture media such as AR, Detail, AV, A+U, Nexus, Domus, ON, Pasajes. As well as in newspapers or audiovisual programs on RTVE, BBC or Netflix.
They also do an intense job of disseminating ideas and knowledge about architecture and urbanism by actively participating in forums, the media and events that transcend the boundaries of the discipline. This activity was recognized with the XII BIAU Award and has been nominated as a finalist in the XVI BEAU.
The company, small and with a wide multidisciplinary network of collaborators, has an agility and flexibility that allow a high capacity for adaptation and response to customer needs, with the constant desire to pursue functional and aesthetic excellence. Both founders are professors of Architectural Projects at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Arquitectura y Edificación de Cartagena.
Patricia Reus (1975) is an architect from ETSAV. She has completed the Research Master's Degree in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Alicante and is a doctor from the same university. She has received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.
Jaume Blancafort (1970) is an architect from the ETSAB. He has completed the Research Master's Degree in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism from the University of Alicante and is a doctor from the same university. He has received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award.
The research lines of the group they co-direct, Contemporary City and Architectural Design, at the UPCT, can be framed in sustainability, participation and care in contemporary architecture and urbanism.
The teaching and research work carried out at the university is directly linked to the creative and technical work carried out through Blancafort-Reus Arquitectura, whose work has been recognized in prestigious competitions such as the Venice Architecture Biennale, the AR’D Awards in Emerging Architecture (Architectural Review, London), the FAD Awards, the AJAC Awards or the Spanish Architecture Award. This work has also been exhibited in Spain, Great Britain, France, Sweden, Italy, Slovenia, Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico, etc. and has been published in numerous specialized architecture media such as AR, Detail, AV, A+U, Nexus, Domus, ON, Pasajes. As well as in newspapers or audiovisual programs on RTVE, BBC or Netflix.
They also do an intense job of disseminating ideas and knowledge about architecture and urbanism by actively participating in forums, the media and events that transcend the boundaries of the discipline. This activity was recognized with the XII BIAU Award and has been nominated as a finalist in the XVI BEAU.
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