Among the ruins

By Alex Jordan 13 : 06 : 2016 Cuenca : Izaskun Chinchilla : Cultural Centre

Spain – The ruins of a mediaeval castle in the province of Cuenca have been transformed into a cultural and educational centre.

The newly restored Garcimuñoz castle includes a public media library, outdoor cinema, bookstore and cafeteria
The architects used a range of materials and colours to demarcate different areas

The national government commissioned Madrid-based firm Izaskun Chinchilla to ‘rehabilitate’ the castle back into society and save it from disrepair by converting it into a space for public events aimed at bringing computer and media literacy to a historically rural area.

Chinchilla has kept the original brick exterior intact, but transformed the central courtyard with glass and metal structures that can be adapted to fit a range of requirements, and an open-air cinema that can also host seminars.

The site will be run by the local government, so Chinchilla has used architectural tricks to keep energy and maintenance costs low. The areas of lowest elevation are covered with a layer of glass and metal framework to create a greenhouse effect in the winter, while solar chimneys absorb some of the heat in summer.

The Big Picture

Historical context and a strong sense of place are important to retail areas looking to compete with the convenience of online shopping. Find out more in our New Urban Guilds microtrend.