Located on a plot of land in the highest part of the village, the Social Center, designed by Gómez Magide, Dipre Mazza, and Díaz González, proposes the creation of three multipurpose spaces capable of hosting community activities and celebrations, a small day center, or workshops for aspiring entrepreneurs. The project is part of a series of previous initiatives that include a community kitchen and laundry facilities, temporary public accommodation, and the development of certain unique areas within the village.
As a guiding principle, the intervention responds to the site's specific topographical conditions, respecting the existing terraces and slopes. The proposal includes the rehabilitation of the existing, dilapidated house, which was left in ruins after the 2018 fires, and incorporates two flexible spaces, one per level, intended for work, talks, courses, or exhibitions. A multipurpose pavilion, positioned parallel to a pre-existing retaining wall, addresses the requested expansion. The intervention is completed with the restoration of the granary, the well-washhouse and the perimeter wall, as well as with small urbanization actions that consolidate the slopes and create two pedestrian access routes to the plot.
Multipurpose Social Center by Gómez Magide + Dipre Mazza + Díaz González. Photograph by Luis Díaz Díaz.
Project description by Gómez Magide + Dipre Mazza + Díaz González
The Multipurpose Social Center is a project promoted by the Carballeda de Avia Town Council as part of an ambitious rural revitalization plan for the Muimenta Model Village. The initiative aims to revitalize a rural community facing abandonment by reclaiming the adjacent, highly productive land and rehabilitating its surrounding buildings. This new governance model seeks to improve the quality of life for its residents, encourage younger people to remain, and attract new residents by promoting economic activity on the land, reviving traditional trades, providing affordable housing, and improving technological services.
The Social Center is located on a plot of land in the highest part of the village, directly above the church, and is part of a series of previous projects, including a community kitchen and laundry facilities, the creation of temporary public accommodation, and the development of certain unique areas within the village. The program is quite simple: the creation of three spaces capable of hosting everything from neighborhood activities and celebrations to a small day center or workshops where aspiring entrepreneurs can develop their businesses.
The starting point for the project is understanding the different levels or terraces (the Galician term for the traditional technique of building terraces on steep slopes), and the decision not to alter the site's topography, seeking to understand the potential of the location and its surroundings.
Thus, the project proposes the rehabilitation of the existing house on the site, which was in ruins after being destroyed by the fires that ravaged Muimenta in 2018. This building serves as a connection between the first two terraces, and inside, two spaces—one per level—are planned for work, talks, courses, exhibitions, or simply relaxing, aiming to be as flexible and non-hierarchical as possible. These rooms are accessed via a central core located on the north facade, which houses the vertical circulation, restrooms, storage, and general utilities.
To address the expansion requested in the program requirements, the design takes advantage of the potential of the intermediate terrace, creating a kind of multipurpose pavilion parallel to a pre-existing retaining wall. This wall once supported simple granite structures that allowed the old vines to climb. A new wooden portico structure, topped with a tiled roof, activates the green space of this terrace, critically reinterpreting some of the initial premises of the design competition, while also serving as an entrance hall for those accessing the site from the west. The pavilion's relationship to the existing structure, as well as its independence, allows for greater flexibility in its uses, enabling different activities to coexist without overlapping.
Finally, the project is completed with the restoration of existing heritage elements on the plot: a granary, a well-washing area, and the perimeter wall. In addition, minor landscaping and leveling work is carried out, partly using materials found during the interior work of the house. This allows for the activation of certain spaces and the creation of a pedestrian path connecting the two entrances to the plot.
