The team made up of two of our youngest staff architects, have achieved a special mention in the biennial of young architects 15th Europan, one of the most prestigious competitions of its kind. The project itself is based on the urban regeneration of the Swedish city of Helsingborg, which has approximately 110,000 inhabitants.
The project by Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT graduates José María Mateo Torres, José Inglés, Andrés Ríos and Víctor Pérez, in whose team the architect Óscar Romero and the artist Ana María Larios have also participated, has designed a large public space “To produce a leisure space in a large scale, based on the spatial and sensory organization, free and changing, by the beach”, the authors explain.
“The beach”, project presented at Europan 15
The project, called 'La Playa', covers an area of 24,288 square metres, and includes new recreational uses for an old freight hangar.
The reform of this building contemplates from swimming pools, viewpoints, green areas to a leisure area where a casino, a boxing ring or a room for concerts and rap cockfights could fit.
The proposal for the outdoor area includes swimming pools, pontoons and a pier. The project will remain on paper, since the contest only provides for the carrying out of the first prize.
Although the really positive thing is that this award goes hand in hand with the professional recognition of young architect from Murcia.
This year's call had the motto 'Productive Cities', and the jury recognized in 'La Playa' the work of connecting a port area with the residential fabric.
Two of our youngest architects from the Pacheco y Asociados Arquitectos team are part of this team of great professionals.
Participating in the 15th Europan call are from Spain, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Holland, Poland and Sweden. The Murcia team opted for Helsingborg because it included the rehabilitation of a building with great historical symbolism. Restoration is one of the most affected issues.
Architecture against climate change
It is a fact that architecture can contribute a lot in the fight against climate change, one of the great current challenges. Good architecture in itself is sustainable. Basically, by designing our cities in a practical way, we will be able to, among many other things, reduce long trips to school, shopping, work, reducing the use of cars and thus reducing CO2 emissions. “By designing our buildings in a sustainable way, we will reduce the climate gap that threatens us”.
“Architecture and urban design have a direct impact on our health. On the one hand, it affects our physical activity: if the design of the city allows us to walk or cycle regularly, we will be exercising almost daily”.
“Changing our usual means of transport will depend on the structure of our city. Stress can be reduced and mental health improved by the simple fact that we can open windows and adjust the lighting at work, and not be forced to always have artificial light or under the harmful effects of air conditioning” says our young colleague Andrés Rios.
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