Paseo de la Estación
Beatriz Ramo
Paseo de la Estación
Reurbanization of Station Avenue, Elche
How to regenerate the image of Elche through a public space? How to design an emblematic public space without limiting its functionality?
As part of the assignment after winning first prize in the Mirador competition, our office was commissioned to redesign the area around the current Paseo de la Estación (Station Avenue). This was possible because we did not consume the entire budget in the ‘iconic” element (the Mirador) and managed to liberate more than €3 million for the much-needed regeneration of the public spaces.
Until the 1960s, the Paseo was a public space where people liked to walk and meet. It was later transformed into a three-lane road and lost its character as public space. We reorganized and deviated the existing traffic to allow for its pedestrianization, leaving circulation only to public buses and bicycles. The roundabout at its end will be transformed into a large public square, highlighting both the future Mirador Wheel and the railway station.
Our intervention takes place within the Palmeral of Elche, the UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape composed of an extensive system of palm groves (huertos) that extends over almost half of the city. The design tries to be as simple as possible in order not to cut any potential of use of the Paseo. It reunites the two parts of the Palmeral located on either side of the avenue through an urban mosaic inspired by the huertos, portraying the eight most beautiful palm trees in Elche. Conceived in ceramic tiles typical of the area, the urban mosaic translates the geometry of the huertos.
The Paseo aims to regenerate the image of the city through a rich sequence of public spaces. The rich and captivating view of the urban-scale mosaic will animate the new civic ground, will be fully appreciated from the future Mirador Wheel at the end of the avenue, and will captivate curious viewers through Google Earth.
Planning partners: Consultant Team: Installations: Grupo JG: José María Sancho; Architectural Techologist: Estudio M2 Oficina Técnica: Luis F. Perona, Francisco de Asís Pérez; Consulting/Support: Madhoc: Juan Tur, Carmen Pérez; Visualizations: Sander Lap + STAR
Client: Ayuntamiento de Elche (Elche City Council)
Categories: Historic Preservation, Landscape and Garden, Urban Development, Recreation and Tourism
Project Gallery
Renovation of the Paseo Boulevard: an urban mosaic inspired by the huertos, portraying the eight most beautiful palm trees in the Palmeral. The urban-scale mosaic will be visible from the Mirador wheel as an enormous piece of urban art.
Zoom of the urban mosaic: a carpet of ceramic tiles portraying a pixelated aerial view of eight palm trees from the Palmeral of Elche.
Station Square: As we did not consume the entire initial budget for the Mirador Wheel, we used the remaining resources to renovate the Paseo de la Estación and create a large public square in front of the future Mirador Station.
Detail of the Square: an engraved quote runs along a circular path representing the exact diameter of the future Mirador Wheel.
Paseo night view: the lighting design reproduces at 1:1 the geometric organisation of the palm trees within the huertos.
Execution drawing for the ceramic tile composition of the urban mosaic.
Beatriz Ramo NL
https://st-ar.nl/
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