Since then I have even had the opportunity to work with him, in the old San Fernando cloth factory at the beginning of the 21st century. The old factory building was put to various uses since its construction by the new Hispanic dynasty, including that of a "gulag" for the city of Madrid to rid the city of undesirable elements. Once again,
Andrés Perea's work focused on the Re-Inhabitation of the space, recovering the old factory buildings for social housing and the old factory and prison courtyard as a public square, as a meeting place for the citizens of San Fernando.
Cloth factory in Brihuega, Spain 1982. Renovation by Andrés Perea.
Maudes hospital for workers, Madrid 1985. Renovation by Andrés Perea.
I have been able to witness the gestation, construction, and inauguration of the
Fontán from the bar of the Avenida (bar). A space that we have been passing through for years. There, in a narrow, longitudinal agora... we converse with the excuse of a coffee; of a stew, or a GT, always long. In this anti-architectural space, where you know when you enter, but not when you leave.
Between those narrow walls, I listened to
Elena and Andrés talk about the Fontán; I saw it drawn on a napkin, in a language shared by archaeologists and architects; I was aware of the progress of its construction in the enthusiasm of its creators and the completion of the work. We even coincided on a trip to visit the recently completed space, Perea and his "troupe" on the AVE to Santiago, trips that are never forgotten, also on a bar, now on the move.
Many things can be written about
Fontán, about its creation, its architecture, and sustainability, but once again we find one of the characteristics of Andrés' work, the Re-Inhabitation of space in the Cidade da Cultura in Santiago de Compostela. In addition, as the headquarters of INCIPIT, I hope that my colleagues will enjoy the same sensations that I had when I went to the Maudes Library. That relationship with books in a space designed for their use, its Re-Inhabitation, fleeing from the current productive spaces. The
Fontán adds its spatial insertion with the surrounding landscape, the understanding of which is an essential part of our discipline, Archaeology, in the 21st century.
Andrés claims melancholy as part of the creative process and the
"alalá das Mariñas" sounds in my mind:
"Teño unhaña casiña branca na Mariña entre loureiros, teño paz e teño amor e estou vivindo no ceo", as a musical metaphor for the Fontán. An almostña for its dwellers, inserted in a landscape that invites a ruist and escapist wandering in these times of crisis and uncertainties.
