Firm： ADORAS Atelier Arquitectura

Type： Landscape + Planning › Public Park

STATUS： Built

YEAR： 2023

The historic city of Alcalá de Henares, nestled in the Henares River valley and in the

heart of the Iberian Peninsula, has been one of those cities that has grown

disproportionately since the 1960s. Four decades in which urban expansion has built

neighborhoods without the necessary planning and has fragmented the recognition of

a landscape identity that is dispersed and reduced to residual transit.

The City Council, under this narrative and in collaboration with ADORAS atelier

architecture team, initiated a process to reformulate the dialogue between the city

and the green areas of District V. Thus, the Andalucía Park renovation project was

born, an area inaugurated in 1993 that, over the years, has become a place of transit

for residents and has been disassociated from its main function: to provide a pleasant

and safe space that invites permanence and, in turn, belonging.

ADORAS's proposal starts from a previous diagnosis approached from different

perspectives and a deep process of listening to the neighbors. The objective was to

return the park to its main function, creating a space of high ecological value and social

cohesion focused on the user and the roots of its lost identity: the Henares River and

the Puerta Andalucía.

In the park, hard transit surfaces (4,665 m2) predominated over green surfaces (1,861

m2). When it came to giving new life to the park, it was designed as a vegetal tapestry

full of meadow and trees, while the paths were reduced to their minimum expression,

creating only an accessible diagonal path - which was the one most used by the

neighbors - along with another smaller one transversal to the bus stop. A meticulous

landscape study was carried out to favor the biodiversity of the park, expanding the

flowerbeds, vegetation and introducing new shrub species ordered by water

requirements to improve irrigation efficiency. Thus, green areas have been increased

by 4,896 m2 and hard surfaces have been reduced by 1,630 m2.

Beyond providing these outdoor green spaces, the park is linked to the historical fabric

to recover its identity. Thus, two elements that deal with its origin are enhanced: the

Henares River and the Puerta Andalucía. For the first one, and as an integrating

element of the whole proposal, a raised luminous pergola is designed that, sinuously,

runs through the whole park resembling the course of the Henares River. This lighting

is conceived as a functional sculptural element that manages to provide identity and a

sense of belonging to a whole neighborhood. For the second, two actions are carried

out that allow the park to reconnect with its Andalusian roots. On the one hand, the

Puerta de Andalucía, a small replica of the Madrid Puerta de Alcalá, which has

Andalusian motifs such as white stucco and tiles, is given greater prominence and has

been enhanced through an integral mural made by an Andalusian muralist. On the

other hand, a flamenco “tablao” is incorporated as a central dance floor that highlights

one of the most recognized arts outside our borders.

The study of the environment and the process of social listening allowed us to know a

social and generational diversity that helped us to establish a wide catalogue of uses

for the park. Thus, a naturalized space is created that is designed to be enjoyed by

everyone and not only as a place of passage. The improvement of the lighting with the

installation of the luminous pergola allows the park to be enjoyed not only during the

day, but also at night, when the continuous beam of light that replicates the meanders

of the Henares River on the users is illuminated. The dance floor encourages

interaction and the playful and festive nature of the park, as do the open areas, where

children can play and develop sports activities. Pets have also been considered,

creating a canine area. In addition, the park incorporates furniture specifically

designed for the project: the Kaze Bench. This concrete bench is conceived as a

multigenerational element, as it is a park surrounded by three schools with students of

very different ages. Thanks to its morphology, inspired by the movements of the air, it

allows different forms of rest, social interaction and even play.

Andalucía Park is a sample of how green areas can listen to the needs of urban

environments and return them a lost space and value, but, above all, give it an identity

and a sense of belonging to the entire neighborhood.