Gustafson Porter + Bowman's Parque Central opens on former Valencia rail yard
by Stu Robarts | 17 Oct 2019
I believe we have been successful in capturing the unique qualities of Valencia, delivering a park that is evocative, stimulating, and full of unexpected sensory experiences.
– Mary Bowman
The first phase of a new 23ha (2,500,000sq ft) urban park designed by landscape architect Gustafson Porter + Bowman and built on the site of former railway lines and industrial land has opened in Valencia, Spain.
Parque Central is part of a larger project in the city that will see train lines moved underground to free up a total of 66ha (7,100,000sq ft) of land. The reclaimed land will be used to reintroduce biodiversity, create new public and cultural spaces and reverse social segregation.
The completed, €16m ($18m, £14m) first phase of Parque Central covers 11.5ha (1,200,000sq ft) and already connects a number of previously separated areas of the city.
The park comprises a series of multi-level gardens, including the Children’s Garden, the Romantic Garden, the Flower Garden, the Orchard Garden and the Demetrio Ribes Arts Plaza. There are spaces for art, activities and events.
Materials for landscaping were drawn from the local region and include marble, granite, and Calatorao limestone. Trees, bushes and herb species used for planting are either native to the area or are non-invasive species that have been adapted to the Mediterranean climate.
Mary Bowman, Partner at Gustafson Porter + Bowman said: "Valencia is a Spanish city and a Mediterranean city like no other, with a rich history of agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, not to mention its trade history and history of artisanal and artistic pursuits. I believe we have been successful in capturing the unique qualities of Valencia, delivering a park that is evocative, stimulating, and full of unexpected sensory experiences."
The project began in 2011, with construction starting in 2015. The second phase is due to begin in 2021.
Valencia park urban park Gustafson Porter + Bowman
Parque Central comprises a series of multi-level gardens / Richard Bloom
Areas include the Children’s Garden, the Romantic Garden, the Flower Garden, the Orchard Garden and the Demetrio Ribes Arts Plaza / Richard Bloom
Trees, bushes and herb species planted are either native to the area or are non-invasive species / Richard Bloom
When the park is fully complete it will cover 23ha (2,500,000sq ft) / Richard Bloom
One of the aims of the project that the park is part of is to reintroduce biodiversity / Richard Bloom
The completed first phase cost €16m ($18m, £14m) / Richard Bloom
Water is a central theme of the park's design / Richard Bloom
Food and the Mediterranean landscape are the two other main themes / Richard Bloom
The landscape design acknowledges Valencia’s position as a major trading and cultural centre in European history / Richard Bloom
A canal leads visitors into the heart of the park / Richard Bloom
There are spaces for art, activities and events / Richard Bloom
The park is designed to provide a new focal green space for a range of age groups / Richard Bloom
The park includes 1000 trees, 85,000 bushes and 70 herb species / Richard Bloom
Any non-invasive plants used have been adapted to the Mediterranean climate / Richard Bloom
Different types of vegetation characterise different areas of the park / Richard Bloom
The park also employs a sustainable drainage strategy / Richard Bloom
The completed first phase already connects a number of previously separated areas of the city / Richard Bloom
Part of the city were previously kept separated by the railway tracks and terminus / Richard Bloom
A former agricultural building has been renovated to serve as the offices for the park / Richard Bloom
Parque Central has been developed over eight years / Richard Bloom
The park has already precipitated urban renewal in the adjacent downtown district of Russafa / Ruzafa / Richard Bloom
The completed first phase of Parque Central covers 11.5ha (1,200,000sq ft) / Richard Bloom
Parque Central is built on the site of former railways lines and industrial land / Richard Bloom
It is part of a larger project in the city that will see train lines moved underground to free up 66ha (7,100,000sq ft) of land / Zeppelin
The first phase of a new 23ha (2,500,000sq ft) urban park designed by landscape architect Gustafson Porter + Bowman and built on the site of former railway lines and industrial land has opened in Valencia, Spain. Parque Central is part of a larger project in the city that will see train lines moved underground to free up a total of 66ha (7,100,000sq ft) of land. The reclaimed land will be
CLD,ARC,DES,GRSP,URBR
More news
Luca Curci rethinks lifestyles and communities with water-based vertical city concept
by Stu Robarts | 15 Nov 2019
Luca Curci Architects have designed a water-based vertical city concept designed to encourage healthier lifestyles and to reimagine the traditional concepts of community and society. The 750m (2,500ft)-high city-building is intended to be population-dense, accommodating 25,000 people across 180 floors, but also highly sustainable. The building has a modular structure constructed from 18 prefabricated slice-like elements that are repeatable both horizontally and vertically. Each element houses 10 floors with their
Chiva-Som reopens after Designrealization renovation and announces new Qatar site
by Stu Robarts | 15 Nov 2019
The celebrated Chiva-Som International Health Resort in Hua Hin, Thailand, has reopened after the most recent phase of a five-year renovation that has seen accommodation and facilities upgraded, with a new Qatar presence also announced. Designed by Designrealization, the renovation masterplan was aimed at bringing a "modern and fresh take" to the resort, with teak, Thai silk, and bamboo complemented by a light colour palette of natural hues. As part
BOGL's masterplan relocates main square to reconnect town to the sea
by Stu Robarts | 15 Nov 2019
Danish architects BOGL have won a design competition to redevelop central parts of Tananger, Norway, with a masterplan that will relocate its main square to reconnect the town with the ocean. Tananger's history is closely related to the sea, but the town has developed in such a way that it has been largely cut off from the water. With the town's population expected to double over the next 30 years,
MAS Architecture Studio scale down the wind tower to keep pedestrians cool
by Stu Robarts | 15 Nov 2019
Istanbul-based MAS Architecture Studio have created a barjeel – or wind tower – installation for Dubai Design Week 2019 that gives passersby a place to pause, rest and cool down. The installation, titled Barjeel, was a response to an open call via which Dubai Design Week was seeking to showcase "the design identity of the UAE through diverse representations of local and international creative efforts." Barjeel was inspired by the
MU Architecture's paleofuturist forest tower houses a luxury retreat
by Stu Robarts | 14 Nov 2019
MU Architecture have unveiled the design for a paleofuturist tower in the hilly forest of Quebec, Canada, that will house a luxury private retreat. The site for the so-called Pekuliari tower will cover 326,000sq ft (30,300sq m) and the tower itself, reminiscent of a totem or a stone cairn, will rise 670ft (204m). The structure is designed to appear as though it is from a forgotten age, but with materials
Reef Group plan subterranean health and wellbeing mixed-use destination
by Stu Robarts | 14 Nov 2019
Reef Group are to create a £100m+ (US$128+, €117+) subterranean mixed-use destination with a focus on healthcare and wellbeing in London's historic Cavendish Square. Currently an underground car park, the site below Cavendish Square Gardens will be redeveloped to provide 280,000sq ft (26,000sq m) of space across four storeys. The existing structure will be reused and adapted, with atria, lightwells and a 200m (656ft) pavement light drawing natural light into
LBA covert holding cells and courthouse into pod hostel
by Stu Robarts | 14 Nov 2019
LBA have created a pod hostel in a listed building that was originally designed as police chambers with holding cells and courtroom facilities. Called 1a Parliament Square after its location in Edinburgh’s Old Town, the project was commissioned by Code, a hostel operator that accommodates its guests in sleep pods. LBA managing director Lynsay Bell Manson said: "It was clear from the early stages of the project that the building’s
Cooper Robertson's Erin Flynn explains MOMA's "3D puzzle" of creating space
by Stu Robarts | 13 Nov 2019
Plenty has been written about the newly opened Diller Scofidio + Renfro expansion of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, but there's been work going on behind the scenes too. With 38,000sq ft (3,500sq m) of new gallery space and 21,000sq ft (2,000sq m) of new public space, there's much more for visitors to explore. But front-of-house spaces need new back-of-house spaces to support them and that
Snøhetta and Clark Nexsen design sloped, curved and cantilevered library and public commons
by Stu Robarts | 13 Nov 2019
Snøhetta and Clark Nexsen have revealed their design for the new Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, with elements that help to achieve the mission of it being more than just a library and also serving as a public commons. Located in the US city of Charlotte, North Carolina, the building will cover an area of 115,000sq ft (11,000sq m). It is shaped with a curved prow at one of its corners, which
Seine Design create floating glass-roofed guinguette in Paris
by Stu Robarts | 13 Nov 2019
Seine Design have created a €5.4m (US$6m, £4.6m) floating guinguette – a small restaurant and dance hall – with glass-panelled sides and a glass roof that give visitors views of its River Seine location. Rosa 2, which is a venue for the Rosa Bonheur chain, replaced an existing floating guinguette that was moored close to the prestigious Pont Alexandre III bridge. From onboard, visitors can see the Eiffel Tower, the
SMA's undulating resort blends with the landscape and provides privacy
by Stu Robarts | 13 Nov 2019
Sordo Madaleno Arquitectos (SMA) have created a branched, undulating design for Chablé's planned Sea of Cortez spa resort that blends with the natural landscape and gives guests both privacy and ocean views. Located on the Baja California Peninsula just north of La Paz in northwest Mexico, the resort will cover an area of 64,900sq m (698,700sq ft). The site is set on the coast between two hills in a sparsely
The Collective goes big and goes global with its two new co-living destinations
by Stu Robarts | 12 Nov 2019
The Collective has opened new co-living destinations in the Long Island City neighbourhood of New York and in London’s Canary Wharf. Its 125-room Long Island City venue is the firm's first in the US and its only one for short (one to 29 night) stays only. The Collective Paper Factory, as it is called, is housed in a 100-year-old building that previously housed a paper goods factory and a radio
Pomeroy Studio plan huge sustainable sports development in Singapore
by Stu Robarts | 12 Nov 2019
Singapore's Pomeroy Studio, Arup and national sporting body Sport Singapore have created a masterplan for an 89ha (220ac) sustainable sports and recreation destination around the site of the existing Singapore Sports Hub. Planned facilities at the Kallang Alive development include a football hub and a tennis centre for both community and international tournaments. Facilities being considered for a youth hub on the site include velodrome, speed climbing and BMX venues.
Peter Pichler's treehouses integrate with nature to help guests do the same
by Stu Robarts | 12 Nov 2019
Peter Pichler Architecture have designed a series of treehouses for a hotel in West Virginia, US, that are closely integrated with nature and will provide guests with an opportunity to relax. The project was conceived to offer a form of slow tourism, giving guests an opportunity to switch off from a more frantic pace of life and immerse themselves in the serenity of nature for a time. The treehouses, which
Onion's reading space gives users a choice of atmospheres
by Stu Robarts | 11 Nov 2019
Thai architects Onion have created a community reading space in Bangkok called Samyan Co-op that offers different types of seating and atmosphere to suit different types of users. The project was commissioned by Golden Land Property Development, who were planning to build a new commercial mall and wanted to give something back to society. Their brief for Onion was to create 500-capacity reading and working space that would be free
BuckleyGrayYeoman to convert former ice factory to mixed-use space
by Stu Robarts | 11 Nov 2019
BuckleyGrayYeoman are to convert a former ice factory, coachworks and power station to house 30,000sq ft (2,800sq m) of restaurant units, retail space and offices adjacent to another of their mixed-use developments. The firm completed its Eccleston Yards mixed-use creative hub project on a derelict and underutilised car park in London, UK, for Grosvenor last year. It comprises a public courtyard where people can sit and a pedestrian mews surrounded
David Chipperfield Architects' West Bund Museum opens to the public
by Stu Robarts | 11 Nov 2019
Shanghai's West Bund Museum, designed by David Chipperfield Architects, has opened to the public as part of the West Bund Masterplan that will introduce a new 9sq km (3.5sq mi) cultural district on former industrial land. The 22,000sq ft (2,000sq m) facility, established as a partnership between Centre Pompidou Paris and the publicly-owned West Bund Group, sits on the north bank of the Huangpu River and is located in a
Sidewalk Labs and Waterfront Toronto's smart city plan takes shape
by Stu Robarts | 11 Nov 2019
Google's sister company Sidewalk Labs has reached a conditional agreement with Waterfront Toronto for the planned smart neighbourhood development on the city's eastern waterfront. Sidewalk Labs was set up by Alphabet to reimagine how cities can approach the challenges of urban growth using technology and innovative planning. In 2017, it was announced that the company's first real-world project would be in Toronto. After 18 months of research and consultation, Sidewalk
Tokyo 2020 gymnastics venue completed
by Tom Walker | 11 Nov 2019
Construction work has been competed on the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, one of the main venues of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The 12,000-capacity arena will host artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics events during the Games, as well as being used for boccia during the Paralympic Games. Created by a design team including architects Nikken Sekkei, the venue will look to showcase "true Japanese craftsmanship" and "embody Japan's woodworking
Richard Hall Architect fills heritage-listed gasometer frame with art gallery
by Stu Robarts | 08 Nov 2019
Richard Hall Architect has designed a new art gallery for the Australian city of Launceston in the heritage-listed circular shell of an old gasometer. The DADA gallery will house the art of a private collector so that the public can enjoy it as well. The site is the last remaining gasometer frame in the city and is in a high-profile position close to the city's historic Albert Hall and opposite
JTP's Ecopolis eco-district approaches construction in Kazan
by Stu Robarts | 08 Nov 2019
Construction work is due to begin on the 760 ha (1,878ac) JTP -designed "Ecopolis" eco-district in Kazan, Russia, which is aimed at promoting a lifestyle of health and wellbeing. Sited on a former artillery base in the city's Kirov district, the masterplan takes advantage of its forest setting and proximity to the River Volga. It is laid out as a landscaped ring with a series of clustered developments around which
Best Practice Architecture's design touches create a progressive gym
by Stu Robarts | 08 Nov 2019
Seattle-based studio Best Practice Architecture has created a new gym with innovative design touches and thoughtful use of materials and colour. The 7,750sq ft (720m) Workout gym is housed in several former retail units at Seattle's Columbia Center. A full-length glazed façade unites the spaces and provides views into the venue, giving a sense of approachability. The gym features large, open work-out areas with highly-specified equipment, a studio for classes,
Cansult Maunsell-designed Clymb attraction, with biggest climbing wall in the world, will open in Abu Dhabi this month
by Andy Knaggs | 08 Nov 2019
Clymb Abu Dhabi, a climbing and sky diving attraction on Abu Dhabi's Yas Island, is to open on 29 November 2019, according to owner Miral. The building was designed by Cansult Maunsell, an operating company based in Dubai and part of global consulting firm Aecom. The US$100m (€89.8m, £77.3m) project will deliver the world's tallest indoor climbing wall at 140ft (43 metres) tall, and its widest skydiving flight chamber, spanning
Dorte Mandrup's whale observatory will breach from the rugged Arctic landscape
by Stu Robarts | 08 Nov 2019
Dorte Mandrup and her studio have won a competition to design an attraction dedicated to whales that will rise organically out of the ground and merge with the surrounding landscape. Called The Whale, it will be located 300km (186mi) north of the Arctic Circle on the northernmost part of Andøya island in Andenes, Norway. The area is regarded as one of the best places in the world for whale-watching and
Allies and Morrison design green and urban lakefront neighbourhood in Toronto
by Stu Robarts | 07 Nov 2019
Allies and Morrison has designed the masterplan for a new urban lakefront neighbourhood in Toronto with areas with greenery and water, public spaces and mixed-use promenades. The Humber Bay Shores site is located to the west of Toronto city centre and the Humber River and is intended to form part of a new high-density centre in the city. Currently empty, the triangular, 11.5ha (28ac) site is positioned between one of
OMA's Kube pins a mixed-use public space outside K11 Musea
by Stu Robarts | 07 Nov 2019
A mixed-use public space comprising a golden cube-shaped kiosk and a giant floating balloon, designed by David Gianotten and Rem Koolhaas of OMA, has been unveiled outside Hong Kong's recently opened K11 Musea. Kube is at once a place to buy coffee, a place to sit and a place to hold events. The anodised aluminium kiosk, which changes colours as the light changes, opens up as a small retail unit.
Boutique hotel in former button and ribbon factory channels old New York
by Stu Robarts | 07 Nov 2019
New York-based real estate investors Bridgeton have converted a former button and ribbon factory in Tribeca into a boutique hotel that harnesses the building's Gilded Age architecture to recall the city's past. Although responsible for the overall design of the Walker Hotel Tribeca, Bridgeton brought in a number of specialists to collaborate on elements like its restaurant and its cocktail bar. Constructed in 1899, the Renaissance Revival style building stretches
Effekt's stormwater plan reconnects town with water and green spaces
by Stu Robarts | 07 Nov 2019
Copenhagen-based studio Effekt has used the need for a climate adaptation plan by a town in Southern Jutland, Denmark, as an opportunity to enhance its identity, public spaces and connection to nature. Tønder had been in need of a plan to manage frequent stormwaters due to its coastal location. Effekt recognised that this could be achieved by remodelling and reorganising public spaces in a way that would improve connections between
Wolfgang Tschapeller suspends inverted ziggurat of 100,000 books in vast library space
by Stu Robarts | 06 Nov 2019
Wolfgang Tschapeller has suspended four levels of library stacks containing around 100,000 volumes in an inverted ziggurat at the Unversity of Cornell 's Mui Ho Fine Arts Library. Tschapeller's goal was to create "a 21st-century interpretation of the grand reading rooms associated with great research collections." To achieve this, he removed the third floor of the Rand Hall building, in which the library is housed, to create a double-height space
Stock-a-Studio's installation reimagines the gym as temporary, reconfigurable and low-budget
by Stu Robarts | 06 Nov 2019
A multidisciplinary design studio called Stock-a-Studio has created a temporary gym in a shopfront that can be easily assembled, disassembled, customised and reassembled using a variety of low budget materials. The installation, called [ a kit of these some parts ] x budget gym ], is aimed at encouraging assembly rather than construction and refinishing rather than remanufacturing. Hosted at LA's Materials & Applications – a non-profit organisation that seeks
company profile
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
features
features
cladkit product news
The furniture uses plastic from recycled fishing nets
Mater, an ethical design brand based in Denmark, has launched a furniture collection made from plastic reclaimed from the ocean.
...
Crown Sports Lockers installed rain of Nebraska Oak clothes lockers with RFID Digilocks in the changing rooms
Saunton Sands Hotel in Devon, UK, has completed a £2m expansion of its spa and wellness facilities. The upgrade included
...
cladkit product news
The Tempano trays feature a state-of-the-art design that combines a linear slope with a high drainage rate
Duravit, a Germany-based bathroom fixtures company, has launched Tempano, a series of easy-to-install shower trays for the home. Available in
...
The seaweed lamps were inspired by Edwards Anker's ethos of incorporating local and organic materials in her designs to give them a sense of place
Nina Edwards Anker, a Brooklyn-based designer and founder of architecture and design practice nea studio, has created a new collection
...
cladkit product news
The Sequel collection is billed as the 'most waste-efficient and sustainable' on the market
Alusid, a creator of eco-friendly surfaces, has partnered with Parkside to launch the Sequel range, the brand's first collection of
...
Cristallo was the last design from acclaimed designer and architect Alessandro Mendini
Design Studio BD Barcelona Design has released Cristallo, a limited-edition cabinet designed by the late architect and designer Alessandro Mendini,
...
The system is designed to enable users to create multifunctional, adaptable pieces, where they are in complete control of the design and function of their furniture
British designer Paul Kelley has created a modular magnetic cube furniture system that enables users to create multifunctional, adaptable pieces,
...
