Morella is an ancient walled city located on a hill-top in the province of Castellón, Spain. Its iconic Castle is known for its towers above the city atop a massive rock. Carquero Arquitectura was commissioned to design the renovation and consolidate the existing masonry, maintaining their ruinous physiognomy, mainly in their crowns, hollows and surfaces, avoiding reinterpretation of the original state.

The castle houses a former prison, the governor's palace and a parade ground. Gothic architecture and medieval city walls are other highlights of both the castle and town.
Carquero Arquitectura took as main concept for intervention has been to restore and consolidate the existing masonry, freezing the physiognomy of the existing elements, especially in its crowns, hollows and surfaces, avoiding the, always debatable, reinterpretation of a possible original state.

The project was carried out in different phases, ranging from recovery to consolidation, with an integrative treatment of the new materials provided, with the removal of important fillings from the Carlist period that structurally affected the wall, the recovery of the archaeological remains found, or the creation of a new public space.

In the crenellated wall, about 70 meters long and 14 meters high outside the walls, a structural consolidation was carried out, as it was at risk of collapse. Outside the walls, four buttresses have been placed, reinforcing the foundations.
 

Project description by Carquero Arquitectura

The general criterion for intervention has been to restore and consolidate the existing masonry, maintaining their ruinous physiognomy, mainly in their crowns, hollows and surfaces, avoiding reinterpretation of the original state.

For the necessary added structural elements, have been used compatible materials such as lime concrete, with stainless steel and glass fibre reinforcing, with tones and textures that integrate with the rest of the interesting historical stratigraphy of the existing and discovered masonry. In the same way, for the necessary added functional elements such as carpentry, it has been used stainless steel with titanium steam treatment, giving it a finish that integrates with the rest of the intervention.

In the area of the loopholed wall, about 70 meters long and about 14 meters high, the main work has been focused on the structural consolidation, being at risk of collapse, as well as the cleaning and restoration. Outside the walls, four buttresses have been placed, reinforcing the foundation, recovering the exported land and sealing and consolidation of cracks.

In the interior of the walls, an important volume from Carlist War period fillings has been removed because of they affected structurally the wall, appearing numerous archaeological remains, deposited in the Museum of the Castle of Morella, as well as the finding of three lime ovens, leaving visible  medieval rammed-earth that remained hidden. For the collection of rainwater, the main cause of the pathologies caused in the mansory of the Castle, a system of diffuse pavements and pipes has been arranged that direct the waters to a pre-existing outdoor pool.

The access to the Sant Francesc Tower has been recovered by the execution of the roof in its wall-walks annex, its stairs, and the increase of the semi-demolished wall and the tense. All the masonry has been restored, including the ramp and  its annex building.

In the area of Pardala Tower, the entire filling has been emptied to its original level to be able to waterproof and systematize the collection of water, executing his lost cover. The exterior masonry has been restored, with curious finds such as cannonballs embedded in the Tower, or a hidden gunboat.

In the same area, the ancient overhanging latrines, that remained undetected, have been enhancement, executing a carpentry that allows to emphasize and to leave visible the corbels of this important historical element, to be the point of entry in 1838 of the Carlist troops.

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Architects
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Carquero Arquitectura. Architects.- Carlos Quevedo Rojas, Carlos Peinado Madueño.
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Collaborators
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Cristina Pérez Prado, Joaquín Martín Rizo, Alejandro Izquierdo Toscano, Gloria Rivero Lamela.
Quantity surveyor.- Fermín Font Mezquita.
Archaeologist.- Ramiro Pérez Millán.
Construction manager.- Josep Brazo i Ramírez.
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Developer
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SG del Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural de España, Dirección General de Bellas Artes (Ministerio de Cultura).
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Builder
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Urcotex Inmobiliaria S.L.U.
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Dates
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Design date.- 2015-2017.
Construction date.- 2019-2021.
Completion date.- 27/05/2021.
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Area
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1,400 m².
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Budget
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€1,511,895.00.
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Photography
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Carquero Arquitectura. Architecture firm established by Carlos Quevedo Rojas and Carlos Peinado Madueño.

Carlos Quevedo Rojas (Cádiz, 1980). PhD in Architecture from the Universities of Seville and IUAV di Venezia, with three Masters on Architecture and Heritage, Restoration and Art History from the Universities of Seville, La Sapienza di Roma and Granada respectively. He has been visiting professor at the universities of Seville, IUAV di Venezia, Olavide, Camerino and Oxford Brookes School of Architecture. He has participated in numerous international conferences and seminars and has published in various scientific-technical journals.

His research work has been recognized with the “R. Santos ”and the“ Pablo de Olavide ”Essay Award. He has been awarded a scholarship to carry out various stays at the universities of Venice, Lima, Delft or Paris. He is a researcher and honorary assistant at the University of Seville and collaborates with the National University of Engineering of Peru. He has participated as a jury in several international architecture competitions and awards. In 2019 he was the winner of the 40under40 Awards, organized by the Chicago Athenaeum and The European Center as one of the best young European architects.

Carlos Peinado Madueño (Malaga, 1980). He developed part of his training and work in different architecture and urban planning studios in Seville and Malaga, collaborating in projects of all kinds throughout the Andalusian geography, from housing developments to activity projects, where the award for the construction of 5 social housing should be mentioned in collaboration with PHS Arquitectos, promoted by the Municipal Institute of Housing of Malaga.

He was also part of the multidisciplinary group Arquitectura 4.0, carrying out projects for clients such as Iberdrola or Endesa, and international competitions, and has developed a large part of his work experience as construction manager at the service of the construction company Fernández and Lind Construcciones, in works for new-storey homes and villas, comprehensive renovations or civil works, which contribute to the work of Carquero Arquitectura proximity and constructive reality.
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Published on: September 1, 2021
Cite: "Consolidation and renovation of “Sant Francesc” and “La Pardala” areas in Morella Castle by Carquero Arquitectura" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/consolidation-and-renovation-sant-francesc-and-la-pardala-areas-morella-castle-carquero-arquitectura> ISSN 1139-6415
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