A cultural project is proposed that can be exported to the different medium-sized cities where the same problem is encountered: the homogeneity that leads to social, economic and cultural decline. To this end, the European way of building, the EU Bauhaus, is reconsidered in order to establish the basic principles of this cultural architecture.
In the case of Alcoy, its culture was determined by the local industry, mainly textile, paper and food, which has been relegated to the suburbs of the city, leading to a cultural and economic loss of the city along with an architectural planning where the uses of the city are separated by sectors.
This was due to the lack of sustainability of the factories. Nowadays, many of these factories are abandoned or in poor condition.
The project is located in an enclave of the city where the historic centre ends and the university and the Eixample begin. The aim is to merge the university with the new industry, to make Alcoyans part of their local culture. The recent pedestrianisation of the centre requires a park and ride facility to support the university residence.
The new EU Bauhaus fundamentals applied to Alcoy are as follows:
1. - It proposes a model where industries can benefit from each other in order to be sustainable and recover their position in the city. The European Union has already earmarked 10 million euros for the regeneration of Alcoy by providing incentives for local industry. Currently, the City Council has devised a strategy to reinvent itself by seeking an industrial revolution 2.0 based on technology through the creation of technological HUBs that attract talent.
2.- 92% of the municipality is undeveloped land and a total of 60% is forest. It also has large areas that have been depopulated by fires. Wood is a sustainable material due to its production and its CO2 footprint. Its biggest problem is humidity due to the possible dilatations that this can cause, but Alicante is one of the best provinces in this aspect in which to build with wood. That is why it is proposed as part of the project a wood exploitation in the unpopulated areas of the municipality to make the project grow as wood is produced.
3.- Spatially it is organised in plan according to the potential symbiosis between industries and in section by flows of heat, waste, water, noise and its context. Cross views are generated between the technological HUBs, the green areas that connect the city and the traditional industry. The ground floor is intended for transport and logistics; the ground floor for industry facilities; the second and third floors for programme development; and finally the use of roofs for public space and renewable energy production technologies.
Complete work including concept design, urban design, design resolution and structure analysis: