CONTEXT
During the last decades the plaza had lost its use as an effective public space and was used principally as a parking lot.
Issued by the mayor’s office, the competition brief called for the reevaluation of the vehicular circulation throughout the town in order to recover the plaza’s historic function as a meeting place for its citizens and as a venue for markets, dances, processions and other events. Once awarded the design, a process of citizen participation helped further define the needs and desires of the local residents.
ACCESIBILITY
One of the project’s main objectives was to provide universal access across the whole plaza and to each building fronting it. A new pedestrian ramp was designed to connect the two platforms that divided and separated the space, while at the same time increasing visual and physical connectivity across the square. The ramp is integrated into a field of fixed stone bleachers that offer seating for the events held in the plaza throughout the year.
DETAIL
The design is adapted to the specific climate of the place, with four outdoor rooms shaded by pergolas and surrounded by abundant vegetation that filters the light of the hot summer sun. These rooms house colorful benches and provide areas of repose and sensory enjoyment. All the building and plant materials used are of local origin and the employment of local crafts and construction techniques assured the square would have a decidedly Mallorcan character.
CLIENT
Ayuntamiento de Sencelles
LOCATION
Sencelles, Mallorca
BUILDING SIZE
16,436 sqft
ARCHITECTS
Belén Moneo, Jeff Brock, Francisco Blázquez
ARCHITECTS TEAM
Federico Pérez, Javier del Pozo, Yaiza Camacho, Ismael Sainz