Argentine studio Paralelo Colectivo, third place in the public plaza design competition in Lanzarote

Save this picture!

The “Interior Urbano” project by Argentine firm Paralelo Colectivo has won third place in the Lanzarote Dynamic Square ideas competition for the remodeling of the Plaza de El Almacén, located in the town of Arrecife on the island of Lanzarote, Spain. 

Last December, the Cabildo de Lanzarote, in collaboration with the Rethinking Competitions platform, launched this ideas competition to transform the current “El Almacén” square, aiming to turn this vacant space into an urban hub for culture and social gathering. In line with the competition guidelines, the goal was to create a space for people, not vehicles—a green, shaded area where children can play, concerts can be held, and markets can open. Ultimately, it envisioned a place of gathering, passion, and art: a space designed by and for citizens, a dynamic and more human plaza. 

Save this picture!

Sustainability, energy efficiency, environmental protection, universal accessibility, versatility of use, the treatment of facades and party walls, and shading strategies were some of the key requirements that the award-winning proposal addressed, earning it third place and a cash prize of 2,000 euros.

Official Description: 

Dynamic Plaza

What should the plaza of culture in Arrecife look like? The plaza we imagine establishes a space of uncertainty, an urban void with an imminent and absolute capacity for change. Any resulting transformations will alter not only its functionality and pedestrian pathways but will also engage the senses. Furthermore, this cultural plaza serves as a catalyst for itself and a gathering space for citizens, fostering a phenomenological sensory experience.

The Void as Urban Structure

Save this picture!

The objective is to achieve an urban plaza that elevates the public dimension. The intervention of the 'ground' layer defines a cohesive pedestrian space, generating the necessary conditions for events to take place. This layer extends beyond the physical boundaries of the site, becoming an all-encompassing mantle for the public space in this area of the historic center, complemented by a study of sensitive urban voids earmarked for future intervention.

Crucially, this is complemented by the canopy, which covers the plaza in its entirety, stretching close to the surrounding urban edges to generate a unique tension. The roof creates an 'urban interior' that engages with its context—a plaza serving as a framework of possibility.

Strategies

Save this picture!

Two fundamental strategies guide the proposal: first, dividing the project into three distinct layers (ground, canopy, and phenomenological plaza); second, conceiving the plaza as a flexible framework for different scenarios: the urban plaza as a void, a floodable plaza, a transformable plaza, and a community plaza.

• Architects

  Paralelo Colectivo

• Location

  Calle la Porra, 13, 35500 Arrecife, Las Palmas, España

• Design Team

  Valentín Ayala, Rodrigo Ballina, Javier Iván Barrios, Rodrigo Cardoso, Lucho del Valle

• Award

  Tercer Lugar

• Conveners

  Cabildo de Lanzarote, Rethinking Competitions

• Project Year

  2018

• Photographs

  Courtesy of Paralelo Colectivo

• Area

  1600.0 m2