Aguilar de la Frontera is a city of fourteen thousandinhabitants in the heart of Cordoba’s countryside. It is known for itsproduction of fine wine and olive oil. Being a border city during thereconquering of Spain, its historic center is atop a hill and was surrounded byhigh walls. The old route from Córdoba to Málaga which is running on its eastside became a national road that has obstructed the expansion of the city inthat direction. When a highway was built in the outskirts, the local governmentran a competition for the conversion of the road into an urban way.
The project aims to change its character from a borderline that divides the city into a place of encounter that links the east sideto the main core and favors the development of the area. The new designrecycles the existing urban fabric giving importance to transversal streets andpromoting pedestrian traffic through the insertion of crossings. The lanesreduced their width, leaving space for a bicycle lane in the traffic artery.The main operation is the readjustment of the axis of the new avenue toincorporate irregularities of the building line, allowing wide sidewalks tobecome small squares where locals can meet.
Regarding the use of materials the urban project ishighly conditioned by the low budget given. The design harnesses the resourcesto the full, offering low-cost solutions in order to save funds to providesufficient street furniture and quality lightning. The benches are designedfollowing the same principles, maximum benefit with minimum expense. Lessexpensive materials are used with little manipulation to achieve a smart, andyet comfortable, result.
The project aims to change its character from a borderline that divides the city into a place of encounter that links the east sideto the main core and favors the development of the area. The new designrecycles the existing urban fabric giving importance to transversal streets andpromoting pedestrian traffic through the insertion of crossings. The lanesreduced their width, leaving space for a bicycle lane in the traffic artery.The main operation is the readjustment of the axis of the new avenue toincorporate irregularities of the building line, allowing wide sidewalks tobecome small squares where locals can meet.
Regarding the use of materials the urban project ishighly conditioned by the low budget given. The design harnesses the resourcesto the full, offering low-cost solutions in order to save funds to providesufficient street furniture and quality lightning. The benches are designedfollowing the same principles, maximum benefit with minimum expense. Lessexpensive materials are used with little manipulation to achieve a smart, andyet comfortable, result.
