OOII wins the competition for the rehabilitation of Plaza del Salvador in Talavera de la Reina by using the pottery typical of the place as the main element of the proposal, thus recovering not only the urban space but also revitalizing the traditional industry and local business of this material.

As part of the competition organized for the rehabilitation of urban space in Talavera de la Reina, the architectural firm OOIIO has won two prizes with its proposals for two spaces, Plaza del Salvador and Plaza de San Miguel.

The intervention in Plaza del Salvador aims to create a space for culture, an outdoor flexible and multifunctional stage to celebrate different activities and revitalize the surrounding areas.

Description of the project by OOIIO

The Square of Culture is a proposal of urban intervention which has as main objective to revitalize culturally the public space of Talavera de la Reina. We make a multiple and flexible scenic space that surrounds and delimits El Salvador square. A place you can enjoy watching a film in the summer cinema, listening to music in the open air, going to photography exhibitions, dancing in concerts and “verbenas”…

This project comes from a rigorous analysis of the public urban space in Talavera, taking into account the traffic flows, sunlight, topography, and pre-existing use.

Let’s reactivate the public space!

TRAFFIC FLOWS AND GRADIENTS

The project takes advantage of the square natural gradient to generate several open-air stages and grandstands. The square pavement reaches from the pedestrian zone to the road, to achieve a visually larger square and make the passer-by the real user of the public space.

SUNLIGHT AND FUNCTIONALITY

The square shaping comes from the sunlight and shadows study, with a functional objective. The children's games zone with morning winter sunlight, the benches, grandstands, and vegetation protected from summer sunlight.

SIGHTS AND VEGETATION

The frame stage is placed in the most visible point of the square becoming an emblematic element of the Culture Square. The existing vegetation is reinforced by a green slope that surrounds the main stage.

USE AND CULTURAL REACTIVATION

Current uses (church, school, and commercial) are emphasized, as long as we preserve a specific area for children to play and some terraces and we create a scenic space with a double stage for cultural entertainment events. This urban auditorium will make the cultural offering of Talavera more powerful.

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Architects
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Design team
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Competition.- Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, Magdalena Polvorinos, Gabriela Sanz, Miguel Cárdenas.
Execution Project.- Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, Magdalena Polvorinos.
Construction.- Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, Jesús Reyes García.
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Client
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Talavera de la Reina city.
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Builder
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Iniciativas RFL s.l.
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Area
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1,065 sqm.
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Dates
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2014-2015.
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Location
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Plaza del Salvador, Talavera de la Reina, Spain.
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Budget
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€249,900.
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Photography
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Eugenio H. Vegue and Francisco Sepúlveda.
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OOIIO is an architecture studio founded by Joaquín Millán Villamuelas in 2010, based in Madrid, Spain. The studio was born in a socioeconomic context marked by constant crisis. Since then, the studio has faced challenges such as the financial crisis, the pandemic, raw material shortages, climate change, and geopolitical tensions. Throughout these years, the only predictable thing has been uncertainty and a lack of security regarding a stable future.

OOIIO has embraced this state of constant change with optimism. The studio does not attempt to control or reverse it, but neither does it surrender to it. For OOIIO, accepting the crisis does not mean creating austere or puritanical architecture, but rather adapting intelligently and maturely to the new conditions: smaller projects, limited budgets, and clients with a more moderate interest in architecture.

OOIIO has learned to create architecture in times of crisis, and starting with seemingly modest commissions, the studio takes its work beyond expectations, leveraging its knowledge of diverse architectural techniques. With humility and adaptability, OOIIO reclaims the architect's role as a leader in the construction process, seizing every opportunity, however small, to create architecture.

This attitude, key to OOIIO's success, has allowed it to be born, survive, and grow in an environment that is challenging for architectural practice. In each project, the studio explores, experiments, and breaks new ground. Architecture has no single place or form; it exists wherever opportunity arises. OOIIO's mission is to be attentive to every stimulus that can enrich each work and each project.

Joaquín Millán Villamuelas, an architect from the Polytechnic University of Madrid (ETSAM), began his professional career in some of the most prestigious architecture firms on the international contemporary scene, such as those of Norman Foster in London and Rem Koolhaas in Rotterdam. He founded OOIIO Arquitectura, conceived as an Architecture and City laboratory focused on creating high-quality and unique spaces in every project.

Joaquín leads the work at OOIIO with an approach centered on emotion. His vision is to guide clients on a journey through their dreams, arriving at surprising and original solutions, always supported by the power of imagination and a precise command of aesthetics. His main tools are light, form, and the expressive capabilities of materials and their colors.

OOIIO, which stands out for its practical approach to project execution, has maintained a solid track record over the years with proposals that are both realistic and innovative. The concepts that define OOIIO's philosophy are reflected in tangible work, successfully executed and recognized internationally. Their trajectory has been showcased, awarded, and published in numerous specialized magazines, books, and blogs.

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Published on: November 16, 2015
Cite:
metalocus, CLAUDIA CENDOYA, IRENE GARCÍA
"Remodeling of Plaza del Salvador by OOIIO [I]" METALOCUS. Accessed
<https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/remodeling-plaza-del-salvador-ooiio-i> ISSN 1139-6415
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