Tool 16 - RehabiMed...Tool 16 Recommendations for planning open space Premises for intervention in open space in historic Mediterranean centres IV. Action 304 16 programmes, they were

Tool 16 Recommendations for planning open space

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Tool 16 Recommendations for planning open space


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IV. ActionTool 16 Recommendations for planning open space

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Francisco PolArchitect and town plannerLecturer at the Higher Education College of Architecture inMadrid (ETSAM)Spain

The “open space issue” in renovationculture and policies in SpainPremises for intervention in openspace in historic Mediterraneancentres

1. Introduction

1.1 The degradation of open spaces in the processes ofdecadence and predatory speculation in historic centres. Particularly in the '60s and '70s, the historic centres in this countrywere subject to the confluence of processes of deterioration andpredatory speculation, in various degrees and combinations butalways involving, as a common feature, the degradation of theiropen spaces.This process was due, above all, to the exaggerated predominanceof the car in all aspects of urban life, from the ideologicalreferences of supposed "modernisation" to everyday preferences;from planning to works, involving, both in centres of the greatcities and the smallest historic sites, the mean-spirited squeezingof the spaces dedicated to pedestrians and the disproportionategrowth of space for traffic and parking. And, all this in a generalclimate of administrations caring little for criteria imposing anyformal quality on public space, was reflected in the routineapplication of asphalt even in the most valuable old centres, theruinous state of paving of the minimal pavements and few spacessafe from the car, the crudity of the street furniture, the generaluse of "functional" types of lighting meant to serve thetraffic...together with permissiveness towards drivers’ mostabusive attitudes to other road users, multiplying environmentaldamage caused by the car. To complete this picture, it should besaid that the formal degradation of the "floor plane" wasaccompanied by the debasement of the "vertical plane", with thebabble of commercial façades, the screeching advertisements andthe emergence – still more serious because of their irreversiblenature – of uncontrolled, discordant buildings. However, renovation policies for historic centres begun since thevictory of municipal democracy at the end of the '70s andbeginning of the '80s, took time to dedicate attention to openspace, concentrating their efforts in actions on buildings, anunderstandable priority because of the extent and intensity of theproblems of deterioration of buildings in working class districts(we must indicate the exceptional cases of Barcelona and someother cities, whose local councils, after the establishment ofmunicipal democracy in 1979, began significant programmes ofbringing open spaces up to standard, committing themselves notonly to their intrinsic value, but also to their capacity to induce andirradiate processes of urban renovation).

1.2. The recent spread of improvement policies:Confidence and uncertainty in projects.For some years the situation has been very different, with therapid spread across the country of actions with the commonfeature of being "environmental or urban improvements" withvery diverse characteristics: in some very specific cases theyaffected "singular spaces" and, in others, through broader

In the operations on an urban scale, the configuration of the new spaces shouldreflect the historic and cultural specifics of the fabric where they act.

In projects of singular spaces one of the premises of the project is contention andmoderation, avoiding exuberance and formal stridence.


Tool 16 Recommendations for planning open spacePremises for intervention in open space in historic Mediterranean centres

IV. Action

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programmes, they were almost always linked to new schemes forreorganising mobility and accessibility.But, in all cases, the planners' questions have been very similarones: What design criteria should be applied to the spacesrecovered from the car? How should they intervene in singularspaces that had been deformed? How far should attitudes ofrespect for the context go? How and when should they resort tocontemporary languages? ...Such doubts and uncertainties, much more accentuated thanthose surrounding similar processes in other nearby countries,would have been affected, in my opinion, by the followingmotivations:

the very weak Spanish tradition in this field, deriving above allfrom poverty and the civil backwardness into which the twogreat periods when European cities were beautified – theBaroque and the bourgeois culture of the second half of the19th and early 20th centuries – had to be fitted.in the '60s and '70s, with the particular context of technocraticdesarrollismo, the almost generalised municipal assignation ofpowers in this field to the "roads and works" departments,where dismissive attitudes towards matters related toarchitecture and to the shape of the old city predominated.lack of attention to these planning fields in architectural andtown planning training, a problem aggravated by the absenceof alternative professional profiles, such as the differentacademic training structures in landscaping in France, Great

Britain or the northern European countries (a lack ofinstitutional attention that survives today).the very low level of importance of bodies which, since the'40s, had among their explicit objectives the conservation andimprovement of historic urban environments, that is, thesuccessive Directorates General of Fine Arts responsible forsupervising historic-artistic sites (a weakness that hadprevented the establishment of even a minimal body ofmethods and procedures other than in some meritoriousworks).finally, the lack of valuable experiences in other countries thatcould be "imported" as examples and references (by contrast tourban renovation policies and methods, where other models fromnearby countries, above all Italian ones, had a great effect).

Because of this, it cannot be surprising that, despite theadvantages that measures to restrict cars have had for the urbanenvironment and for daily life, and the corresponding expansionof areas for walking and sitting, its formal results have sometimesbeen vulgar and even deplorable. There is also an aggravatingfactor: the likelihood that this will remain so for many years, as itwill be difficult for future administrations (even if they achieveparticular cultural sensitivity) to justify to the public the carryingout of new, costly and reforms always causing inconvenience,solely because of aesthetic considerations. The purpose of my account is precisely to reveal the roots of thesemistakes in the compositional and formal field, and then to

The periphery of many cities, especially those that were located at the foot of wallshistorically used for defensive ends, or at river banks, experience processes ofdegradation due to the original “weakness” of the urban fabric. In such cases thestrategies of requalification of the open spaces must necessarily be incorporatedwithin complex urban planning projects.The image, which corresponds to the fringes of the historic center of Almeria towardSan Cristobel hill and the Alcazaba in 2000, is a good example of this type ofproblem. .

The impact of the automobile upon the urban landscape was especially great in thesquares, that is, where the most singular architecture was generally concentrated. Inthe image, Born Square of the Cuitadella of Minorca in 1995..


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attempt to sketch out some indications of planning routes whichI consider more appropriate.But first I believe it is essential to indicate how often I have noticedmistakes that could not be put down to theoretical uncertaintiesor methodologies but which were simply rooted in spectacularprofessional incompetence, administrative neglect or outsideintrusion from decision-making areas or the influences of localpowers.

1.3. Establishing initial boundaries: mistakes throughprofessional incompetence/incongruence due to theintrusion of town planning "amateurs" and "do-it-yourselfers".Attempts to identify successes and mistakes must, in fact, takeaccount of aspects concerning "competences" in all senses of theterm: both professional skills and capacity for administrativedecisions.

As these are generally works falling within municipalcompetences, we cannot ignore the fact that it will be difficultto achieve appropriate quality in planning them if they areassigned to internal technicians – not so much because of thestereotyped (but so many times justified) mistrust of theplanning quality of the technical structures of local councils,but rather because of the very particular requirements of thistype of action, which require special planning refinement and acertain accumulation/sedimentation of experience (again wemust qualify such forthright declarations a little, as some localcouncils, like Barcelona, have based their very valuable actionprocesses on solid technical departments).The absence of specialised professional profiles makes itdifficult for the administrations to tackle jobs. In this respect, itis very significant that it is in Catalonia where the majority ofthe highest quality actions have been carried out, because ofvarious connected political, academic and cultural factors thathave generated a demand from an interested public as well asa notable density of professionals.Ultimately, we should indicate that the fact that it is apparently"easy" to make decisions concerning the external shape ofopen spaces, as there are no legal requirements for professionalcompetences, has, on more than a few occasions, encouragedthe "amateurish" intrusions of political leaders.

More than a few vulgarities and extravagances occurring insome centres have had their origin, in effect, in "dictates" bypolitical leaders, transcribed by servile officers attached to thelocal councils or required by the profession or by constructioncompanies with an obvious interest. They are jointly motivatedby vanity and fear, always trying to avoid any kind ofcontroversy and to "butter up" the voters, thereby achieving

the most vulgar common denominators of "taste"... Theseattitudes are further strengthened by the insistent demands ofcompanies constantly tempting the politicians, stimulating theextension of the very popular "do it yourself" hobby to extendto the town planning field, offering to support this task withthe comfortable certainties of "catalogue buying".

2. A first distinction for the analysis for these new fields ofplanning: operations on an "urban scale" and singularprojects.

Having given these caveats, we can now go into the fullargument, which will refer only to the field of professional actionsand which we assume enjoy their full quota of competences,regardless of our degree of agreement with the differentapproaches and results.We will structure the account by distinguishing various fields:

operations on an "urban scale" coming within fairly complexurban strategies. one-off actions, generally limited to very particular spheres andconstituting "works schemes" only.

In turn, in both the fields, we should distinguish:

minor schemes.actions in singular spaces.

3. "Urban scale" operations forming part of complexstrategies.

3.1. An essential step: examining the "internal" coherenceconditions of the planning approaches and methods.These operations are usually linked to Special Urban Plans or FullRenovation Programmes, with complex implications alwaysrelated to plans to reorganise transport lay-outs. The assessment of these operations will, as a first step, require theexamination of the initial criteria and approaches on which theplanning processes will be based. The coherence of theseassumptions will in my opinion, be determined, by whether theymeet the following requirements:

Appropriate and efficient expression among structural andformal, components, understanding structural aspects not onlyin a town planning sense, but also concerning the way theyrespect the social and economic structures of the town.The adoption of forms capable of reflecting the specifichistorical and cultural features of the various fabrics being


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worked upon; that is, rejecting formal solutions that makewhat the urban development of our cities has left us asdifferentiated banal and homogenised. This warning isparticularly important in our country, for various reasons: theoriginal modelling of our centres by very diverse urban cultures(Roman, Arab, Christian...with all their variations throughouthistory); because of the diversity of geographical contexts,highly accentuated even in Mediterranean regions, with whatthis implies for the differentiation of all aspects of open spaces;and, finally, because of the frequent and almost kaleidoscopicsuccessive modifications, superimpositions and additions ontop of original structures...

The consideration of links and hierarchies in urban spaces,which must, above all, affect the adoption of different formaltreatments of small-scale schemes and singular spaces.Finally, the requirement for the necessary technical efficiency.This aspect will be essential in operations on extensive areas,which must never by carried out without at the same timeincorporating works to improve infrastructures or include newnetworks and technical services. The insertion of projects into precise time perspectives withrespect to their material – and also formal – durability. The firstcaveat does not require justification, but the second does. Ineffect, in a singular space we can always opt for formalapproaches with a degree of "atemporality" or, on thecontrary, those attached to a discourse or to tastes that are

clearly fixed at a certain "cultural moment" (and, therefore,likely to be difficult to comprehend in the future); in these typesof spaces, both views can be legitimate. But, if we are referringto small-scale actions, in my opinion, these fine distinctions arenot necessary as the preferred route should be to containexpression, opting for the capacity for lasting absorption offuture changes in taste.

3.2. Looking at mistakes: wrong answers or poorlyformulated questions?The most frequent mistakes can easily be deduced from acomparison with these criteria:

Concerning the first of the conditions indicated above, we willnote that operations have frequently been carried out gettingonly one of the required components - structural or formal -right. For example, pedestrianisation operations or thosereorganising transport with beneficial effects for thestructuring of urban activities but with weak or even negativeforms; or, on the other hand, "decorative" actions without anyeffect on the structural order; and even cases that are defectivein both aspects.On the latter point, we could highlight numerous cases of thehomogenous treatment of fabrics of very diverse origins, whichhave had the inevitable effect of creating banal perceptions ofcities, with the deployment everywhere of scenery that flattensor even distorts the diversity of urban representations.

The Special Plan for Rehabilitation of the center of Minorca, from the late 90's,constitutes a good example of the insertion of strategies of qualification of the openspaces and of the urban landscape within a framework of urban planning. Thosestrategies were articulated in several stages: at a general scale of the city, reorderingthe systems of mobility with an aim to “unload” the old center of the excessivepressure of the automobile; at the scale of the historic center, defining different areaswith regards to accessibility and foreseeing underground parking; and, finally, at adetailed scale, advancing proposals of redesign of the main public spaces, style ofpavements, definition of urban elements, illumination, commercial scene, etc...In the image, aerial view of the zone with the Born and the port at focal points..

Appearance of the traditional pavements in one of the main streets.


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For the third aspect, we have noted all possible types ofimbalance: over-emphasis on certain singular spaces anddevaluation of other no less valuable ones for no other reasonthan poor planning or incomprehension by public decision-makers; shocking contrasts between the richness of certainsingular spaces and the poverty or coarseness of the minorworks; and even paradoxical effects of "inverted emphasis"resulting from treating small streets, squares and alleys withdense designs and extravagant, costly materials... whileforgetting the singular spaces (almost always because of theconfluence of two attitudes in the municipal administrations:on one hand, fear of the complexity usually involved in actionin important spaces; and, on the other, by seeking"compensatory" spectacular effects in "minor" areas wherethe action does not raise problems or questions.

4. Actions limited to adapting minor areas.

4.1 Some proposals on planning criteria.The approach and methods in this field of action largely coincidewith those which we noted before for complex and "urban scale"operations, as they will always involve a general background ofminor interventions regardless of the degree of density of theirimplications and synergies. But we believe it is necessary to go alittle deeper into this issue because of its importance inimprovement policies. So, to the conditions indicated above for the "urban scale"

programmes I would add the following specific recommendationsfor these actions:

Understanding these works as being meant to improve thehistoric built-up fabric in which they are situated and never as"autonomous" schemes. This involves attitudes of respectfulinsertion in context, expressing its specific historical and urbannature, as we indicated earlier. A preference for using all kinds of traditional materials andelements. This does not mean it is not possible to optlegitimately for other solutions in a thoughtful and justifiedway, for example, applying industrialised elements orcombining them with traditional procedures.The adoption of approaches showing containment of forms,economy of materials... and also economy of expression, withdesign procedures oriented towards rigour and precision indetails (there are few aspects of town planning where we areso justified in our support for the lesson that “less is more”). Attention to the typification of elements (kerbs andboundaries, paving slabs, dropped kerbs, manhole covers,joints between pavements and buildings, planters...)considering them as keys to urban syntax and therefore taking

1, 2 and 3.Different problems with the pavements, 1: deterioration and abandonment of themajority of the popular areas. 2. Characteristic scene of the first pedestrianinterventions of the 60-70's, with paving stones of absurd geometries and loudcolors. 3. A municipal urban planning program, with a completely miscalculateddesign, has damaged the scenery of a large portion of the city center. We see themassive application of a grey cement paving, completely foreign to the traditionalsolutions and in contrast to the architecture.

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extreme care with their capacity to generate specific imagesand identities for the town.A severe approach in applying street furniture, shunning its usewithout good reason, assessing its strict functional justificationand, in all cases, opting for succinct formal elements (nothingis more deserving of rejection more than the process of makinga beautiful centre banal with the thoughtless and profusearrangement of furniture, regardless of its design quality and itscontemporary or historicist attachments).Extreme attention to lighting, an issue normally forgotten intown planning regulations or relegated to technicaldepartment routines, although sometimes trivialised in thechoice of lamps, with the sterile clash between "historiclamps" and "contemporary" elements. Faced with theselimitations and gaps, the lighting plan must intelligently use thevery broad range of options now technically possible to adaptto all the criteria indicated above, for example, in terms of the"differentiating the historically different", the hierarchisation ofspaces, adherence to architectural contexts, etc.

4.2. Mistakes: the difficulty of "getting the little thingsright", of "caring for the fragile"... Once again, it is almost unnecessary to refer to the mistakesdetected in this area as they can be gleaned almost directly, in anegative sense, from the indications and recommendations wehave given. But, almost symbolically, we would like to refer to some cases ofgetting it spectacularly wrong. For example, there is the case ofCiudadela de Menorca, a magnificent old centre, with anarchitectural scene marked by the presence of stone, in goldenlimestone blocks for the mansions and churches and, particularly,in the special marés sandstone of the island, protected withterracotta or pastel coloured lime wash. And with a few historicpavements also in slabs of golden limestone, with refinedquartering and combinations, although limited to certain streets,with precarious and heavily deteriorated asphalt largelypredominating in the centre. Well, in that context a publicprogramme went ahead a few years ago with the declared aim ofurban improvement, paving a large part of the centre, with themassive and homogeneous application of probably the leastsuitable material that could have been chosen – prefabricatedconcrete paving stones – in the least appropriate colour - grey -extending it through the network of small streets and the mostvaluable squares, clashing ominously with the delicate colour ofthe architecture and the strong Mediterranean light.

Proposal of the Special Plan for the “smaller portions”, based upon thereinterpretation of the traditional models..

Proposal of the Special Plan in the central part of the city center. Directing architectof the Plan: Francisco Pol.


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5. The main idea of the argument: planning "singularspaces"

" – Could you tell me what direction I should take?– That depends on where you want to go..."

from Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

We finally reach the central theme of the argument, the planningof singular spaces, which I shall approach by differentiating twoplanes: a first plane on which I will sketch the premises that, Ibelieve, should be essential as "rules governing methods" or"coherence conditions" for schemes; and, a second plane whichwill refer to the formal aspects of actions and for which I willcritically examine the validity and relevance of the differentapproaches that have been deployed in this field over the last fewyears. I will conclude the explanation by supporting the expressive andformal perspectives which, from my point of view, can bringtogether analytical coherence, methodical rigour and capacity foraesthetic significance or seduction, and which, because of this,should preferably guide our working approaches.

5.1. Some proposals on starting points: the "planningintelligence" needed for analysis work.Among the premises which, in my opinion, would mark that firstplane of the conceptual basis, I would highlight the following:

Considering the specific features of “the local” (that is, thespecific features of the city where the action is to be carried outand its regional environment), and using this reflection in manydirections: its impregnation with history (in all forms - cultural,social, architectural history...), the conditions of the urban andnatural landscape, the tradition of building, images of the city...But with the caveat that, on occasion, perhaps the moststimulating indications are derived from the intelligentcombination of local features with a backcloth of global ones...With this same approach but using a “zoom lens”, we shouldtry to decipher what is “specific” about the actual place wherethe actions are being carried out, in all the forms indicatedabove, paying special attention to the conditions of the built-up surroundings and also introducing some samples of its pastand present meanings and uses, its position in the "city'simagination", its impregnation by historical events, its possiblereminiscences as "a literary place"); its sedimentation in tastesand sensitivities...

Proposals for the area of Plà de Sant Joan, of extreme singularity for the presence ofthe city wall and bulwarks of the port and of the Plà, a peculiar passage in which iscentered the spectacular Festival of the Horsemen, in San Juan.


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4 and 5. Surroundings of Larios Street in the center of Málaga. 2004.

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Stone pavement in a narrow street of the Ciudadela.Examples of actuations based in the quality of the design of the pavements, withminimizing criteria and refined solutions of detail.

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1, 2 and 3. Stone borders in Granada.


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Trying to get the scheme to establish some significantrelationships with these contextual conditions, both local andspecific, of the actual place. We should clarify that we willconsider as significant relationships those which might bestimulated by the scheme, activating thoughts, feelings oremotions... that is, relationships with a certain capacity to turnon social subjectivity.Understanding that the examination of these multipleconditions of the place and its context will be of little use if itleads only to a systemisation of information and will be of nouse at all if it is limited to their routine acceptance "becauseof the requirements of the script" of "culturally correct"methodologies. This approach will only be valid based onplanning intelligence; that is, introducing into the course ofthe analysis concerns and intentions about the features of theplace that we might use to induce "significant" perceptionsin the sense indicated above and which could also bemodelled with the expressive resources of urban architectureand design.Assessing the conditions of coherence between the possibleusage programmes and the contextual and the characteristicsof the space where the action is being carried out. Final premise: preference for containment and moderation inall elements of the scheme. Perhaps this last assumptionappears more arguable than the previous ones, more derivedfrom personal opinions. But I believe it is possible to back itwith various arguments: firstly by simple reference to thecharacterisation of open spaces throughout history, wherewhispers have predominated much more than shouts (even atmoments of formal exuberance, like the Baroque period, wefind more games of counterpoint or choral resources thanstrident arias of ornate elements); secondly because weunderstand that, conceptually, historic open spaces must adoptappropriate forms so that multiple confluences and very diverseresonances can occur over time; and, thirdly, because thescenarios of our historic centres are almost always modestlydeployed, with fragile balances that could easily be destroyedif the elements making up the open spaces are given anoutlandishly prominent role. It should be said that this cautious attitude, which some mightlabel Puritan, would also allow exceptions; for example facedwith scenarios that have almost vanished or become disjointed,where the use of dense discourses can be justified in order tocontribute to giving them significance.

5.2. Some kinds of loss.As with the comments we have made concerning the other formsof action, in this case, too, a simple explanation of the premisesmakes it possible to characterise the mistakes generated by failingto follow them. So, a scheme guided by a reading of the context6, 7 and 8. Monells, Catalonia. Pavement and illumination, Architects: J. Fuses and

J.M. Viader. 1996.

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and sticking to conventional coded characterisations will veryeasily fall into tiresome stereotyped repetition and, it is worthrepeating, will make the place where it is carried out acommonplace. A mistake in the choice of references, assigningexcessive importance to irrelevant themes, can lead to distortingor extravagant configurations. Basing the scheme on a poorunderstanding of the specific conditions and significances canlead to mistaken or false expressions. Proud distancing orindifference in reading the contextual conditions will very probablybe translated into unnaturally vain "cries for attention" to thecontribution of the author...In the interests of keeping the argument flowing, we will avoidmore detailed criticisms bar a few notes concerning two issueswhich cannot be directly deduced from failure to comply with thepremises set out above:

The first issue concerns the frequent contradictions betweenthe functional programme and formal responses, with twofrequent and very different attitudes: on one hand, those whoattempt to tie the project strictly to supposedly "objectivised"functional requirements; and, on the other, those whoarbitrarily try to tie subsequent uses to the capriciousimpositions of the scheme.Secondly, the preference for the profusion of materials,elements or constructions, an expression of a certain "fear ofvacuum" caused, I believe, by various factors: firstly, manyplanners' lack of theoretical understanding of the essentialshape of open spaces as vacuums, giving rise to theautomatic reaction of the architect, who tends to deploy"constructions", considering them the only way of giving theproject impact. Secondly, the tendency to consider openspace as a sectorial and, therefore attrezzato facility. And,finally, the inertia of the "domestic taste" which for so longimpregnated the traditional bourgeoisie, with its conceptionof home as a setting for a multi-coloured accumulation ofobjects (in passing, we invite the reader to look at themasterly analyses of Baudrillard or Moles concerning systemsof objects, and compare the explanations in these of themotivations in the traditional bourgeois home with whathappens in many of our public spaces, which seem to bemeant to appear like an interior crammed with furniture,decoration and knick-knacks).

6. Formal languages in planning "singular spaces”.

Considering these brief comments on the premises and criteria onwhich all schemes for singular spaces should be based, we cannow deal with the central theme of my account: the analysis ofthe different formal perspectives for tackling interventions.

6.1. An initial warning: the paradoxical fact that historicalspaces offer few opportunities for "ripristino" schemes.I will begin with a warning which I consider essential to theargument: there is very little scope for basing schemes onrehabilitation criteria and ripristino methods.At first sight, perhaps such a bald statement might appearunjustified, as the possibility of applying methods similar to thoseof rehabilitation interventions on historic buildings to this fieldmight appear reasonable.However, nothing could be further from what is revealed to us byan analysis of the issue. In fact, because of the particular featuresof Spanish urban history, there are very few spaces that have beencreated with single worthwhile schemes and which have thenundergone negative transformations that would justify actionsaimed at recovering or reinterpreting such a pristine layout. Incontrast with the firm and refined architectural and ornamentalcharacterisation acquired by many spaces in European cities in the16th and, above all, in the 17th and 18th centuries, with the greatformal resources of the Baroque and then Neoclassicism, in Spainthe majority of the most important urban spaces had still not, by themiddle of the 19th century, been brought up to standard. So, whatwould be revealed to us by an analysis of the historical evolution ofmany singular spaces would not be a valuable basic configurationbut rather successive adaptations, without an imprint of any greatvalue towards which we might direct attempts at rehabilitation. Theabundant iconography on the urban landscapes most representativeof our centres in the first half of the 19th century very clearlyillustrates these claims (see, for example, the collections of viewscreated by French and English Romantic travellers of the first half ofthe 19th century, such as Laborde in 1810, Taylor in 1823, Chapuyin 1844... showing the predominance of irregular, neglectedpavements of bare earth or, in the best cases, disorderly flush stonesor slabs in many of the spaces with greatest historical value) des cas,empierrés ou dallés de manière chaotique).

6.2. The diversity of formal approaches: from "historicistroutes" to the deployment of contemporary languageswith no intention of inserting them into the context.The implications of the above considerations when it comes toapproaching a scheme are very clear: if material or documentarytraces with sufficient, convincing value cannot be found in thepast to be revived or reconstructed with any certainty, the tensionsthat characterise any "ex novo" design tend to arise.However, noting that the ripristino does not work does not meanwe can approach schemes as "free experiments". Instead we arein situations similar to those marking a scheme for a new buildingwithin a historic fabric; that is, having to work with the criteriaand methods of contextual insertion which have become attachedto modern architectural culture (although in the case of openspaces there is rarely such detailed organisation as in building


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schemes). It should not need to be said that these considerationswill never lead to single formal solutions or even common generalguidelines. For this reason, it is not surprising that the trails theactions carried out in Spain since the early '80s have been blazingare very different ones.A first basic scheme of analysis would be to distinguish twogeneral orientations that clash violently (because they are rootednot so much in reflections and opinions but in tastes that aredeeply embedded in personal subjectivity and social preferences):

languages predominantly linked to continuity with tradition,rooted in the tastes and forms of historical architecture and theold city.languages where contemporary resources from botharchitectural languages and those of the artistic avant-gardepredominate.

6.3. Planning orientations following "historical forms" We can distinguish various nuances within these attitudes:

preferences for renovation or conservative adaptation.the routes of imitation.interpretation procedures.

6.3.1. Preferences for "conservative adaptation".Conservative actions motivated by the requirements of repair orpartial recovery or the functional or technical adaptation ofspaces, maintaining some valuable features, have been frequent.We would highlight, for example, that carried out in the Plaça delMercat in Vic, consolidating and functionally improving its veryunusual and attractive bare earth surface.This approach, if developed coherently, will make it possible toachieve some interesting results precisely because it bringstogether three very unusual aspects: the honesty involved inaccepting the pre-eminence of "inherited" values; modesty inrenouncing personal expressiveness; and the search for quality inthe refinement and precision of construction.

6.3.2. The "historicist imitation" routes. These routes include "ex novo" actions with notable planningdensity resorting to forms imitating historical languages. They areculturally legitimate options provided they are developed based onrigorous knowledge. This will clearly differentiate them from thestage sets proposed by amateurs or incompetent professionals. They will be advisable above all in very significant settings, witharchitectural surroundings that have a strong historical characterwhich have been treated in an unfortunate or incongruous wayand which require notable transformation.The choice of specific historical references for modelling thescheme could correspond to different motivations, for example,

The Plaza Mayor of Madrid in the 17th century. J. De la Corte, 1623. The plaza wasunpaved until the mid 19th century, period in which it was adapted first as a type ofFrench royal square, with its pavement and installation of the equestrian statue ofFelipe III in its center. Later, following reports of Anglo-Saxon squares, it would initiatea process of displacements which would continue until recent dates. Engravings by Nicolas Chapuy, in Vues de Espagne, edited in Paris in 1844.

Seville, Plaza de la Constitución.

Madrid, Plaza de Santa Cruz.


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the intention to link with the dominant architectural languages inthe area; the interest in highlighting a certain type of architectureconsidered as the focus; the will to evoke a certain historicalperiod considered particularly important for the place, etc.It is true that the results of these approaches can be dull if theylazily rely on the simple application of a repertoire, but they in noway exclude inventive planning work. Maurice Culot, whochampioned this route with the slogan “imitation, an adventure increation” provided more than a few reasons to support itscoherence.The recovery of the Plaça Reial in Barcelona, the work of Correa yMilá, which involved important elements of conservation, wouldbe a successful example of these approaches.

6.3.3. The "historicist interpretation" proceduresThese are close to the imitation routes but there are subtledifferences, perhaps more because of the attitudes of the plannersthan because of the actual results (to use a theatrical simile, wemight speak in these cases of preferences for the distancing thatBrecht called for in representations of his works). They do notattempt to be accurate, like the imitative projects, but ratherintellectually convincing. They try to be severely didactic ratherthan cheerfully narrative...We might indicate the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Murcia as asuccessful example of this route. This work by Rafael Moneo,carried out at the same time as his scheme for the new City Hall,is based on a pavement with a geometrical layout linking the threebig pieces of architecture making up the square, using an oldresource of Baroque, although with contemporary quartering anddetails. The intervention in the Plaza de la Catedral in Almería, by AlbertoCampo Baeza, would also correspond to this approach. It consistsof a broad horizontal plane paved in white marble slabs,structured in a grid following the internal modulation of thecathedral, with slim palm trees situated at the crossing pointsinterpreting the structures of pillars and columns.

6.3.4. Some caveats: the difficult balances of historicistorientations between the rigour of the analogies and distortion of"the antique".The intrusions of incompetent professionals or amateur politicalleaders that we have already mentioned are usually expressed inimages with a supposedly "antique" flavour, for obvious reasons:firstly, because they trust in these being "in tune" with the mostwidespread public tastes; and, secondly, because these languagesare apparently easy to use, backed by repertoires of street furniture,street lamps and all kinds of knick-knacks (including the advertisingartefacts that have distorted the scene in so many centres). Those resources have, on many occasions, created images wemight describe as grotesque, in the sense Valle Inclán gave to this

term: in the same way as grotesque in literature consisted ofreflecting the models of the classical heroes in the distortingmirrors of the Callejón del Gato in Madrid, these urban grotesqueswould turn out as fatter or thinner – but always deformed andvulgar – reflections of the historic city's models of open space.

6.4. The pre-eminence of contemporary languages, withoutattention or intention concerning historic contexts.Within these perspectives we can distinguish many lines ofplanning, almost as many as the different tendencies that havebecome ingrained in architectural languages since the days of theavant-garde. But, for the purposes of this argument, the mostimportant thing will perhaps be to identify two, very different,attitudes:

"minimising" approaches, with extreme expressive reduction.preferences for deploying forms with a “strong presence”.

6.4.1. “No illusions, no allusions”: the contained resources ofminimalism.These attitudes would above all fit into the extensive field ofminimalism, which for many years has occupied an importantposition on the architectural scene. Because of this, we mightcharacterise them by paraphrasing what is probably the mostprecise definition of this artistic tendency: “no illusions, noallusions” with respect to the historical contexts in which they areset.These formal schemes prefer coldness to warmth; the correctgreeting to the cordial conversation; neutrality to sympathy;figures to stories... These are attitudes which, at times, can end inindifference or distant contempt, but which in other cases reachthe level of elegant respect. The majority of actions included in these approaches havebasically limited themselves to the "ground plane" sometimes,but only for good reasons, including succinct protuberances:because of this they can be justified in very heterogeneousenvironments; generators of architectural babble before whichany "absorbent layer" will be received with gratitude. But theycan also be appropriate on sites bounded by extraordinary singularor tumultuously expressive architecture, before which they playthe role of musical silences in relation to moments of pathos.We would highlight some interesting actions coming within thesecriteria, like the Passeig del Angel, work of Rafael de Cáceres, orthe Plaça de la Catedral, both in the centre of Barcelona.

6.4.2. Exasperation and exacerbation in the prevalence ofcontemporary languages.In common with minimalist approaches, these have a certaindisinterest in expressing the significances of the context and arefusal to assume the improvement and highlighting of the


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The Plaza Real of Barcelona. Rehabilitation project by Correa and Milá (1982).The plaza was formed at the beginning of the 19th century as a result of thedemolition of a convent during the Desamortización. Originally it did not have anyvegetation. At the end of the 19th century, palm trees were planted and in the mid20th century it was reformed with a topical solution of flower beds, while stillmaintaining its aggressive automobile use. The project “cleansed” this space,eliminating the flower beds, valuing the palm trees and accenting the presence of theoriginal Gaudí street lamps. At the same time it projected a new pavement of stone,redesigned the benches, etc...

Adaptation project of the Plaza del Cardinal Belluga in Murcia developed in parallelto the project of the new municipal seat. Rafael Moneo, 1993-98.The design of the pavement is based on a system of spokes that link the most valuedbuildings -the Cathedral, the new city hall, the Palace of the cardinal Belluga- alsohighlighting the visual elements of the streets which lead to the setting.

The front of the new city hall in the plaza was conceived as a contemporary re-elaboration of the traditional plans of the “retable-facades”, with tones of geometricabstraction.

Appearance of the Plaza de Vic, Catalonia, at the end of the 90's, after itsrehabilitation, traditionally unpaved.


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historic surroundings as a central aim of the scheme. But they aredifferentiated from them because of their greater "density ofobjects" (regardless of whether they opt for one contemporarylanguage or another), and, above all, by their desire for autonomy,which often ends up achieving excessive pre-eminence over thesurrounding contexts.The deployment of these projects has often corresponded toemphatic self-affirmation or "affirmation of the author", comingwithin the attitudes of "exaltation" that Colin Rowe and FredKoetter so caustically identify when referring to the arrogantattitudes of the "heroic" avant-garde. And, in some cases, we canalso identify malicious attempts to use context as a pretext tomake the text of the project shine even more. As at many other points of this explanation, we do not want thesecritical warnings to be understood as dogmatic rejections for alltimes and places. Nor can we exclude the possibility that theseapproaches could lead to interesting results in cases of very poorlydelineated or altered environments (never, of course, in places ofhigh value). And, of course, provided they are entrusted toplanners of recognised solidity and come within a public debate.

But, even in these circumstances, we should be aware that theseoptions perhaps do not compensate for the risks involved. Toomany cases sadly justify these warnings: from the recklessdisappointment of the reform of Les Halles in Paris to the verymany projects scattered in so many historic cities in our country,competing to exalt "innovation" and modern "rupture". We were talking before about the grotesque in terms of certain"neo-antique" orientations which clumsily tried to imitate greatclassical models. But we should also speak of modern grotesquesin so many works which, despite their pretensions, remain clumsyimitations of great landmarks of contemporary architecture.In Seville, this option has recently been tried, with a hypertrophiedand tumultuous proposal for the Plaza de la Encarnación, a placeof very complex and contradictory historical and urbanconditioning factors. We hope the obvious risks of this proposalwill be overcome satisfactorily, finally resolving an environmentwhich has been the subject of so many and such different ideassince the '80s and which we might consider as a "laboratory inextreme conditions" of the issues that concern us.

1 and 2.Rehabilitation of the Portal del Angel in Barcelona.This avenue took its present form with successive reforms of the original historiccourse. It is an important communication from the old city to the central enclave ofthe Plaza de Catalonia, acting also as an important commercial axis with a dense flowof pedestrians. The project tries to adapt to these conditions with a neutral formalsolution, based on the horizontal continuity of a homogenous paving, and accentinglineality with a new disposition of the old street lamps, in an extensive line duplicatedby new lighting, characteristic of that of sports events. Architects: A. Montes and J. Alemany, 1992.

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6.4.3. A mistaken route fortunately now closed off: erroneouslyresorting to the post-modern.Between fidelity to tradition and combative enlistment incontemporaneity, in the '70s a trend emerged which took on acertain resonance until the beginning of the '90s and which wasbased on an attempt to revise architectural modernity (and alsothe formulas of modern town planning, rooted in functionalism)attempting to overcome its supposed "failures" by reinventing"other" modern forms providing continuity with history. As is well known, very diverse formulas were brought together inthis form of planning (or, to put it better, in this fashion) resultingfrom the process of criticism of the codification of the ModernMovement which erupted in the '70s and which – let's not forget– made its accusations and proposals in a climate extended tomany other fields (philosophy, literary analysis, art, even politics)included under the very appropriate term post-modernism.It would be wildly pretentious to try, in this small-scale context, tooffer a serious assessment of such a complex phenomenon. Wecan mention some accurate contributions on the matter thatconcerns us: firstly, the full justification of its criticism of the

codifications of modernity for the way it had relegated theconcepts and images of historic open spaces and, in general,traditional cities; its caustic denunciation of the "unbearablelightness" or even "negative energies" (to use two clichéd slogansof the language of those years) of the urban open spacesgenerated from these codifications; thirdly, the call for attention tosuggestions of historically established resources and forms ofconstruction and, fourthly, the support for "material" and"mental" models of the traditional city to come up with essentialways to link the disparate urban proliferations of the so-calledboom period and to structure new growth.However, barring some exceptions, in practice they did not live upto the expectations these theoretical discourses had generated. Inour field, the coincidence of the deployment of this tendency withthe emergence of the new improvement policies for open spacesfrom the end of the '70s to the end of the '80s explains its effecton the language of many interventions.It is not possible to make a general judgment, as interesting workswere carried out from these perspectives, as well as someconventional ones and others worthy of rejection, occasionally

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3 and 4.Avenida de la Catedral, Barcelona.This Avenue is the result of an urban reformation, unconcluded because of theinterruption of the opening of the Gran Via. The actuation wanted to respond to theconfusing collection of inherited spaces, and build a huge underground parkinggarage at the same time. A solution of great formal simplicity was adopted, accenting the value of the greatflat central “emptiness”, paved in light-colored granite, which links the diversearchitecture of the plaza. The interior of the parking garage is linked environmentallywith the exterior by way of the continuity of the pavements and of the transparencyof the access and ventilation elements.Architects: M. Quintana and M.Periel. 1990.


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bordering on the kitsch. Undoubtedly these differences are partlyderived from the level of talent of their authors but also from the"dose" of historical references (with the contained having a verydifferent effect from the prolix, and allusion from reiteration) andfrom its means of expression (as the justified quotation orrestrained re-elaboration is not the same as the arbitrarydigression or shocking piece of irony). So, at one extreme wemight place works like the local squares in Gracia, by Bach y Mora,

with restrained resources in a post-modern key but with elegantdesign and within a discourse dedicated to highlighting thecontexts, or the Moll de la Fusta, by M. Solà Morales, in Barcelona,also with some post-modern re-elaborations of CatalanModernism but well integrated into the central objective of thework: resolving complex problems of contact between the city andthe port. And, at the opposite extreme, we would place workssuch as the reform of the Plaza del Pilar and its surroundings in

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1 and 2.Examples of interventions in the old center of Tarragona, in archeological areas of theRoman Tarraco, realized in the late 90's, with the participation of different architects.

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Zaragoza based on disseminated anecdotes (geographical reliefsalluding to the Discovery of America and to "Spanishness" with allkinds of sheets of water and arches alluding to the Roman past),the reckless use of functional elements elevated to the level ofcompositional markers (lamps), heavy and unnecessary stage setsattempting to compensate for the irregularities and discontinuitiesin the fabric, etc.

7. Other arguments, other indications. The context as incitement to contemporary planning

7.1. Working with "materials of memory" based onsensitivities and languages committed to contemporaneity. We can now finally deal with the crux of the matter that mostinterests us: proposing a planning route that would be differentfrom the ones mentioned above because of its attention andtension towards "the historical", "the contextual", "the local",but committed in its expression to contemporary architectural andartistic languages. This perspective, whose first approaches are found in some worksby Gregotti and other Italian critics, clearly corresponds to thepropositions and debates on the links between innovation andcontextuality of new building in historic environments which havepunctuated this field of the architectural debate from the "otheravant-gardes" of the '30s (Asplund, Lewerentz, etc.) or the Italianarchitecture of the '50s to increasingly varied recent experiments. But, beyond the perception of some common aspects, we willsoon have to point out that the notable differences between thetwo objects - "construction" and "open space" - will, from acertain point, require the promotion of some specific lines ofmethod and planning in this latter field. These differences aboveall concern:

the lower level of tension between function and form. In effect,while in architectural planning formal modelling will besituated as part of a complex set of responses to use, in openspaces functional requirements for formalisation will almostalways be much less pronounced (in the majority of casesreorganisation of surfaces previously dedicated to parking ortraffic, or occupied by spurious installations). a shorter timescale than that for buildings. New architecture ina singular historical context will almost always be intended tolast, both in the planning of the developer and in the intentionsof the planner. By contrast, this desire will rarely be expressedin intervention in an open space, largely because of the culturalassumptions concerning the very flexibility intrinsic in openspaces... as spaces for communication, providing significance.

But, speaking of this characterisation as creating significance takesus right to the heart of the debate. In effect, the strength of thismethod of planning will essentially lie in the sequentialelaboration of significances and forms, in which the tension willconcern the following issues:

the identification of the "themes" or "significant references",a task which will hardly ever be deduced mechanically from ananalysis of the place but instead will require a certainintelligence of argument.

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3, 4 and 5.Remodeling of the Plaza de la Encarnación. Project by Jürgen Mayer, winner of the2004 Contest.The succession of debates and proposals over this place, in the center of Seville,shows the special complexity of the interventions in areas with existing archeology.At the beginning of the 80's the reordering of the zone was trusted to a project byG. Vázquez Consuegra, that resolved the most difficult demands of the program – aparking garage and a new structuring of the market implanted in the zone – with ameasured project with the traditional/modern resources characteristic of the “Sevilleschool” of that time.The previous archeological excavations unearthed a substrate of great value of theRoman and Arab cities.After years of strong polemics, an international contest was held which demandedthe simultaneous fulfilling of evaluation criteria of the archeological remains, of theimplantation of a market and of the formation of substantial public spaces.Mayer's project was based on a 30 m. tall structure in the form of an aluminum“mushroom”, crowning the roof with a vegetative mat.


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the choice of the "means" or "resources" to express thesethemes.

the setting of objectives related to improvements in the urbanstructure.the formal elaborations, in all their aspects of design, materials,vegetation, urban elements, works of "urban art", etc.

In the first aspect, we must underline that the “materials ofmemory” of the place may be of very different kinds: urban orarchitectural traces – persistent, poorly drawn or faded; events ofthe past; impregnations from certain uses; the very variedexpressions of the imagination of a city or a history; even literary"atmospheres"... The dispersal and heterogeneity of these aspects, whichsometimes even contradict one another, will require a certainselection, as in any operation involving memory: the work ofBorges is a constant warning of the fraud of lack of memory butalso of the suffocation of life caused by excess memory (Funes elmemorioso). Our task in this field – which is actually the first partof the planning process – will be precisely to extract the aspectsthat could contribute to a more rigorous knowledge of the past byour contemporaries, something which could open up new

perspectives on history or on the present day, which couldoverturn inherited stereotypes and, above all, which could surpriseand therefore encourage curiosity and interest, stimulating newtastes (remember Nietzche's accurate aphorism on the greaterimportance in history of changes in taste than changes in opinion) On the second aspect, and while we are talking about proceduresproviding significance, we will surely find the clearest suggestionsconcerning expressive "means" in literary resources. So, thepossibility of using the subtlety of allusion, or the delicate nuancesof evocation will be sketched out for us... ; or the route with thestrictest limits of transcription, of didactic explanation or the"critical commentary on texts"; or games of mixing up,détournement; and why not the unpicking of digression...; or theexperimentation of transtextuality... But, always, one way oranother, a story will be sketched out or poetic figures deployed....

Now dealing with the last aspect, it is very important to underlinethat, sometimes, it will not be possible to model our expressiveintentions only with the resources of architectural languages. But,these cases, which in my opinion are the most frequent ones, canlie within other much broader fields of formal ideas: thoseexplored by the contemporary arts, from the first avant-garde to

1 and 2.“The plazas of Gracia”. One of the most important programs in the urbanrequalification strategy taken on by the City government of Barcelona in thebeginning of the 80's. It was centered in the old village of Gracia, characterized by atight urban fabric, punctuated by a few plazas of nearly domestic scale.The projects were entrusted to Jaume Bach and Gabriel Mora.

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the latest contributions. So, a certain "theme of argument" cansuggest the use of a collage based on Cubism. Another perhapsincites a game involving assemblage or the Dadaist objet trouvé.Another place perhaps incites metaphysical kinds of taste, while stillothers perhaps call for a tough expressionist emphasis. But, aboveall, it will be the most recent trends that will incite the mostsuggestive explorations: conceptual art, the minimal, and thepovera; the very varied claims of the event versus the work, from thehappening to performance; the extended territory of installations,and land art with its many branches and still open derivations...

We are advocating a route which is undoubtedly a biased andtherefore a risky one. But it is obvious that these risks are nodifferent from those always taken by new architecture in historicsurroundings, from the moment it attempts to go beyondimitative languages while at the same time attending tocontextual significance. They are the attractions and also the risksthat always derive from using imagination in planning and whichare so well expressed in André Breton's phrase: “Chéreimagination: ce que j’aime plus de toi ce que tu ne pardonnespas”. (Dear imagination: what I like most about you is that you donot forgive).

“El Moll de la Fusta”, Barcelona. Project: Manuel de Solá-Morales, 1981One of the most important actuations in the urban policies of City Hall, orientedtoward the idea of “opening Barcelona to the sea”. It effected an extensive area ofnearly 10 ha.The rigid and aggressive barrier of the Ronda Litoral was eliminated by forcing itunderground. A pedestrian passage-way was created with a series of connections forits linking with the level lower pier. It was developed in several phases.The photograph corresponds to the initial phase of the construction.The solution of the “facade” toward the pier, in stone and with its succession ofparabolic arches, as well as the finishing bulwarks, in glazed ceramic elements,alludes to the characteristic solutions of the traditional architecture and, above all, tothe Catalan modernism.


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1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.Intervention in the city wall of Cartegena and its surroundings. J.M. Torres Nadal.1994.The project articulates several objectives: valuing the weaving of the wall andadapting the land that extends from its base; re-qualifying the upper open space asa passage, stimulating its magnificent views of the bay and valuing its urban facade;and facilitating the connections between the two planes with a series of centralstairways forming attractive “wells of light”1 and 2. Aspects of the city wall.3. Details of new “railings” and pavement of the Paseo de borde.4. In order to “signal” the position of the linking nucleus with the lower level a plasticelement has been used which achieves the designation of insignia of that componentof the project.5. Design of illumination elements which play a formal role, “punctuating” the contact with the urban facade of the Passage.

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6, 7, 8 and 9.Rehabilitation of the Paseo de Ronda of the city walls of Palma de Mallorca.E. Torres and J.A. Martínez Lapeña. 1983-93.As William Curtis points out, it deals with an “orchestration of a series of events inan unfolding of transformations disposed upon a precise geometry of triangulation.In that lineal order are inserted curiosities and fragments which open up associationof ideas and interrelations”.For example, in the theatre, references foreign to the chapel of Ronchamp can beseen in the disposition of the benches and the scenery, such as in the tarp... In thiselement the reference to sailing ships is reinforced by the use of the colors of the oldMallorcan navy. Also, however, the intention of re-elaborating an exceptional workof Gaudí and Jujol can be perceived, close to this place: the baldachin of theCathedral.At the border of the “theatre”. the imprints of seats in the “boxes” formed by aninclined plane of cement explore resources of surreal roots. The cells of the wood ofthe background, with pieces whose profiles recall the traditional balustrades of thecity, transport us to gestalt perceptions of background/figure, the same as with otherelements, such as the tunnel, of cut section with a similar silhouette.This skillful unfolding of the projected imagination is extended to all the detail: wedistinguish the pieces of concrete that form the pavement, which the authors named“stone of Palma”, in which we can perceive the image of two crisscrossed palm treesand at the same time an allusion to the rough trunk of the nearby palm trees. It istrue that this type of interventions runs the risk to falling into a “constructedliterature” with the weakness of a postmodern anecdote. But as Curtis points out,these risks are saved, in this case, by a rigorous work of abstraction, by wise attitudesof ambiguity and by a clear ordering of the projected intentions.

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3.Maritime passage of the Barceloneta. Project by J. Henrich and O. Tarrassó. 1992-95.Actuation of special transcendence in the recuperation of the maritime front ofBarcelona toward the beach of the Barceloneta. It is formed by a series of levels withjagged profiles, which toward the interior embrace the geometry of the outline of thedistrict, and toward the beach with the serpentine and ever changing profiles of theencounter with the sand of the sea.

1 and 2.Ramps of the Castle of Castelldefells.E.Torres and J.A. Martínez Lapeña, 1990.The project organizes the pedestrian accesses to the castle with a prolonged zigzagof ramps, defined by a repetitive element which acts simultaneously as a constructiveand formal function: folded weathering steel panels which serve as molds for theretaining walls and give a strong contemporary image to this historic landscape.

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4, 5, 6 and 7.Plaza de la Marina, Málaga. Manuel de Solá-Morales.This actuation responded to some of the most frequent functional objectives in theadaptation of large open spaces in the old city centers: the reordering of the courseof thoroughfares and the construction of a large underground parking, basis for thevital recuperation of the exterior areas. The reordering of the area converts what before was a transportation link into aspace for being, which links with the underground space of the parking garage byway of diverse design resources, among which stands out a large double levelfountain, which acts as a focus of light and freshness and which maintains the“memory” of a pre-existing fountain.The project uses, with a certain eclecticism, resources alluding to different languages:from roof gardens, with allusions to ripe grain; to the fountain, a contemporary re-elaboration of classic models or the benches and walls with tiles of regionalreferences.

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IV. ActionTool 16 Recommendations for planning open space

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Reprogramming urban voids through a project based logic actionin architecture : a self reflective comparative analysis of a projectin Athienou, Cyprus and a project in Heraklion, Crete, Greece.

Generating voids as a transitional political act

One of the pre-election promises of the mayor of Heraklion, Crete,Greece, (200,000 inhabitants), was to get rid of the RedistributionCentre of Fruits and Vegetables (built in the 50s), located near thewaterfront of the historical city of Heraklion, Crete. Through anEuropean architectural competition (Europan 4, 1995-96)1 the cityhad formulated concerns and asked for proposals for theregeneration of a large part of the old city waterfront includingthe site of the Redistribution Centre of Fruits and Vegetables.In Athienou, Cyprus (5,000 inhabitants), the very well plannedmunicipality bought a private parcel in the historical centre of thecommunity through an investment policy. In the parcel there wasa house built in the 50s and around it there were mostlyresidences, a few shops and a cooperative bank.In the case of Heraklion we won the competition2 through astrategic plan of re-inserting limits (mostly temporal), between thecity and the sea. We were assigned among other things to studythe site of the former Redistribution Centre of Fruits andVegetables. Meanwhile, the mayor had been reelected and thebuilding was demolished leaving behind a void.In the case of Athienou, the municipality demolished the privatehouse and was wondering what to do with the void left behind inthe centre of the community.In the mean time, both of the sites were being used as parkingplaces. In Heraklion, it is in fact being used as an organizedmunicipal parking area and in Athienou it was used as parking forthe users of the nearby shops and Cooperative Bank. Two voidswith a potential undefined urban role.

A project based logic action in architecture

When one refers to a project based logic action in architecture,there is an emphasis on non linear processes that take placebetween the various actors that are involved into the making ofarchitecture. In this case there is an emphasis on a non linearprocess into the reprogramming of urban voids. Actors in this caseregarding Athienou are the study team (architect, engineers)3, the

mayor and the technical services of the municipality, theDepartment of Planning and Housing (co-funding the project), theCooperative Bank (co-funding the land purchase), the users. In thecase of Heraklion, Crete the actors are the study team (architects,engineers)4, two mayors and a few assistant mayors, (in the rangeof ten years we had the experience of shifting of political actors),the technical services of the municipality, the institutions that fundthe project (regional government, European funding through theCentral Greek government), the local architects organization, ascientific committee that supervises the project and consists ofrepresentatives of relevant government services, etc. The reason Iam referring to all these actors is to demonstrate in fact thedifficulties of proposing re-programming of existing situations andhaving it approved and complied through various actors.Usually what we encounter in these cases is a rigid set of problemshanded out by the client to the architects, seeking a rigid set ofanswers from the architectural team involved. The process ofgiving the answer and having it approved is rather linear with thevarious actors being involved in a linear chronological manner.

Often, the vacuums generated by demolitions are used as parking lots. Thearchitectural project should give motives for recuperating them as public spaces.

The role of open space: two projectson Crete and Cyprus

Socrates StratisPhD architect and town plannerLecturer in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cyprus


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IV. ActionTool 16 Recommendations for planning open spaceThe role of open space: two projects on Crete and Cyprus

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In both projects we proposed in fact, implicitly and explicitly anon linear process of making things through flexibleframeworks of directions for defining and implementing theprojects. We shifted indeed, our role beyond the classical roleof the architect and we found ourselves involved directly orindirectly in processes before and after what we weresupposed to be normally doing.

The political difficulties of reprogramming voids

After a few years of winning the competition in Heraklion andthanks to a positive for us political condition we were called to talkto the client about the redevelopment of the void left behind afterthe demolition of the Fruits and Vegetables Distribution Centre.We faced then a monolithic vision for the future of the void whichwas a “green balcony of the city facing the sea” (Heraklion lies 7meters above sea level). A political slogan used in fact for the pre-election period. We were called indeed, to “green” the void thatwas generated by the municipality of the city (the client).For the case of Athienou, we had to persuade the municipalitythat to give an urban role to the void they generated in the centreof their community could not be done by the placement of awater fountain in the centre and parking around.In the meantime, the role given to the new voids as parking placeswas thriving. For Athienou, the shop owner and his clients as well

as the bank users and employees were more than happy to theinformal new status of the void. In Heraklion, the neighborsstarted paying visits to the mayor insisting on the “voidness” oftheir adjacent open space.

Shifting roles of an architect for reprogramming voids

In both cases we shifted our role in re-questioning the role of suchvoids and their capacity to regenerate new urban conditions. Withan excellent collaboration with both municipalities we reworkedthe program that usually is given fixed to the architects. For thecase of Athienou it was much simpler and in a smaller scale thanthat of Heraklion. The question for the Athienou case was in fact, how a voidcreated by the demolition of a private house can get an urbanrole, more than just a parking spot? We proposed in that logic, ahybrid building that could function as a mediator between privateand public domain related to space, time and uses. A small linearbuilding is placed actually, at the one edge of the open spacecreating a filter with the adjacent road and opening out to the restof the open space. Its role for creating conditions of reconciliationbetween the public and the private is concentrated on periodicand everyday uses of the space (see diagrams 1-4). The building isa structure of enclosed and covered spaces housing open-airtheatre events (changing-rooms, toilets), a coffee shop and aplayground, (see images).

Model of the scheme for Athienou Model of the scheme for Athienou


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For the case of Heraklion the process of shifting roles for thearchitectural team has been much more complex. Our studiesstarted long before the contract was assigned to us thanks to aEuropan culture of winners’ enthusiasm5. We developed in fact, aseries of scenarios of reprogramming the void of the formerRedistribution Centre of Fruits and Vegetables. These scenariosfacilitated the municipality to direct their own priorities and mostlyto persuade the State and European funding institutions forfunding a possible project. Early on, the municipality joined ourpoint of view of searching for possible uses that could give anactive urban role to the void. The politics of “greening” the voidstayed aside giving the possibility to propose possible re-programming of the void.Part of the program has been adapted and re-adjusted by theEuropean funding program, Urban II, (Centre of Rehabilitation andRe-education and public square facilities). Succeeding of gettingfunds through Urban II became indeed, the catalyst for furtherfunding from various sources. In this case, the role of thearchitectural team was double: firstly to assure the coherence ofthe project which was funded by at least four different fundingsources and secondly to take into account the political “vision” ofthe openness of the void. Both of the tasks were rather complexand tricky. For the first case, the architectural team was put into a sort ofmanaging the limits between the areas funded by differentsources. Those areas were both juxtaposed and even moredifficult, superimposed in order to activate the void. A quite richprogram was approved after our proposals for re-programmingthe void: Centre of Rehabilitation and Re-education,neighborhood centre, parking garage for 132 cars, annexed

building of a Municipal Youth Centre (internet café), periodicmarket for antiques, info kiosks and kiosks for selling the productsof the Rehabilitation and Re-education Centre. For the second case, that was taking into account the political“vision” of the openness of the void most of the program hasbeen put under the street level (the Rehabilitation / Re-educationalCentre and the parking garage). The void on the street levelbecame a surface where the complex program is registered invarious ways. The Rehabilitation / Re-educational Centre registerswith a large linear covered space. It becomes a point of referencefor the re-programming of the void and an entrance space for theprogram under the street level. The rest of the site is developed insuch a way as to give importance to the under street main spaces.A lowered public space functions as an intermediate spacebetween the street level and the Rehabilitation / Re-educationalCentre. A sort of garden and a kids’ playground is proposed inthat space taking into account its protection from car traffic andstrong northern winds. The Internet Café and the periodic marketactivate the open space on street level, (see images)

Difficulties in shifting the status of the void

In Athienou the project was implemented in 2000. The firstreaction came from the users of the void as a parking area. Aclever response from the municipality was to let the users to parkfor a while in the public space until the new users would haveevolved and take over: kids playing in the playground guarded bytheir grandparents, coffee shop tenants etc.) Then, they wereforced to move to the adjacent parking area. There are still indeed,

Diagram of the proposal for Heraklion


disputes amongst the inhabitants who would have preferred a“non active void”. Nevertheless, they all attend the open airtheatrical events that take place as well as the New Year’s Evecelebration.One major point to stress is that the actual re-programming of thevoid is taking place in various levels. One level refers to thedecisions taken about the program by the municipality with theimplication of the architectural team. The second level refers tothe layout of the program by the architectural team and how itcreates conditions of activating the void. The third level of re-programming takes places on a daily and on periodic base by theusers themselves. A sort of re-programming that lets its traces onthe space completing in fact the public space.In the case of Heraklion the project will be implemented in phases.The first phase will be ready by the end of 2006 and the rest bythe end of 2007-2008. The shifting of the status of the void intoits new condition remains to be seen as well as the way it will bere-programmed by its users on a daily base.

1 Europan: European Architectural Competition for architects under 40 years old. Ittakes place every two years. Europan 8 is running in 2006.

2 Winning Team : Socrates Stratis, Kyriakos Koundouros, Akis Ioannides, MariaLoizidou

3 Socrates Stratis, architect-urbanist, Chrisos Touloupis, civil engineer, GEMACelectrical and mechanical engineers.

4 Socrates Stratis, Kyriakos Koundouros, Architectoniki Epe – architects, Mylonas &Tzivanakis – civil engineers, LDK – electrical and mechanical engineers.

5 Usually the winners of each session of the Europan competition are full of energyand more than willing to participate in the further development of their winningproject even if rather frequently the implementation process is long.

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Tool 16 - RehabiMed...Tool 16 Recommendations for planning open space Premises for intervention in open space in historic Mediterranean centres IV. Action 304 16 programmes, they were

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