The Valencia City Council has presented this Tuesday the preliminary project for the comprehensive reform of the Town Hall Square, an intervention budgeted at 11.4 million euros and that will embody the design approved more than 3 years ago under the name “Re-natura”.
This project will transform the space into a large pedestrian area with a new central ellipse for the firing of the mascletás.
The proposal, led by architect Miguel del Rey, covers an area of more than 38,000 square meters and will be executed in four phases: the mascletá area, the area around the ornamental fountain and María Cristina, the northern section of San Vicente Mártir street and Marqués de Sotelo avenue.
The new “cathedral of gunpowder”.
The central element of the design is the replacement of the current polygonal space from where the mascletás are fired by an elliptical shape of 2,211 square meters. This configuration recalls the old flower market of the architect Javier Goerlich.
The paving of this central area will be finished with granite-toned cobblestones that will simulate “volaorets”, a design designed to identify the area and hide the traces of fire on the ground.
More shade and trees
In addition, the number of trees will be doubled to increase the number of shade areas, the drainage surface and the number of benches. Deciduous species of controlled height will be planted.
In the Post Office area, a secondary plaza will be created in front of the building, the future Sorolla museum, with Mediterranean trees evoking the painter’s landscapes.
In the area of the ornamental fountain , an island garden will be planned with naturalized vegetation and a fountain, where the statue of Francesc de Vinatea will be maintained.
A boulevard from Estació del Nord to Plaza de la Reina.
In addition, San Vicente Mártir street and Marqués de Sotelo avenue will be integrated to form a uniform contemporary boulevard.
To put an end to the “amalgamation of designs” of recent years, the drafting team has planned an aesthetic continuity that runs from San Vicente Mártir street to Xàtiva street.
On Avenida del Marqués de Sotelo, which will be reconfigured as a contemporary boulevard, “large granite slabs” will be used in the pedestrian areas. This material will replicate the finish of the main square, seeking a visual unity that enhances the identity axis from the Plaza de la Reina to the Estació del Nord.
After the presentation, the consistory will now begin the process of reports from the municipal services and a process of “active listening” with florists, merchants, neighbors and the Junta Central Fallera to finish defining the project.