ENVIRONMENT
The plot designated for the project measures 40 x 50 meters and is located in Pico del Fraile, an area characterized by its rugged topography and striking landscape. The terrain features significant slopes that directly influence the architectural design.
The landscape is dominated by an abundance of rock formations, which emerge irregularly across the site and create an environment with a strong geological character. These rocks are not merely a construction obstacle, but rather structuring elements of the project, capable of defining pathways, seating areas, and visual connections with the surroundings.
Adding to this complex topographical condition is the presence of an old, ruined wall that runs lengthwise along the peak and partially cuts across the intervention area. This built vestige introduces a historical and material layer into the natural landscape, functioning as a site memory.
ARCHITECTURE
The tower is conceived as a superposition of horizontal planes that, rather than forming a closed volume, create a lightweight structure capable of generating an ascending journey through the landscape. Each of these planes defines small platforms or pauses from which visitors can stop and observe the surroundings from different heights and orientations, establishing a direct and ever-changing relationship with the landscape.
The system of planes is not understood merely as a formal resource, but as a mechanism that organizes the spatial experience of the tower. As the path ascends, the views gradually open up, allowing the discovery of different perspectives of the surrounding landscape and emphasizing the relationship between architecture and territory.
All these elements are connected by a system of tensioned cables that articulates the structure. These cables introduce a dynamic and light dimension to the whole, reinforcing the sense of verticality and movement. At the same time, they act as bracing elements, contributing to the rigidity of the structure and stabilizing the system of planes.
The tower is anchored to the ground by a heavier, more solid base constructed from gabions. These are filled with rocks from the remains of the old wall on the site, thus reusing local material. This not only resolves the tower's structural support but also establishes a material and symbolic continuity with the existing structure, transforming the wall fragments into a fundamental part of the new project.
In this way, the intervention establishes a dialogue between lightness and weight, between an open and dynamic upper structure and a base rooted to the ground.
RELATIONS
The tower's structure is built using wooden planks, arranged successively and slightly offset from one another. This construction strategy creates a fragmented surface that avoids the rigidity of a continuous plane and allows the structure to be perceived as an open and expanding system.
The displacement between the different planks produces variations in the density and direction of the planes, creating small openings and changes in the perception of the whole. In this way, the materialization of the project responds not only to a structural logic, but also to a search for balance between stability and lightness, where each element participates in the construction of a larger system.
IMPLANTATION
El proyecto se implanta en el terreno estableciendo una relación directa con el muro preexistente, que actúa como referencia física y conceptual dentro de la parcela. Lejos de ignorar este elemento, la propuesta lo incorpora como parte del sistema de implantación, entendiendo el muro como una huella del lugar que contribuye a definir la posición y el carácter de la intervención.
La torre se sitúa en la zona de mayor pendiente del terreno, donde la topografía adquiere un papel protagonista en la configuración del proyecto. Esta decisión intensifica el diálogo entre la arquitectura y el paisaje, permitiendo que la estructura se eleve desde uno de los puntos más abruptos del pico y establezca una relación más marcada con el relieve natural.
Para responder a esta condición topográfica, el proyecto se apoya sobre un volumen pétreo de carácter macizo, que funciona como basamento y punto de anclaje al terreno. Este cuerpo pesado actúa como un elemento capaz de contener y estabilizar la pendiente, generando una transición entre la irregularidad del suelo y la ligereza de la estructura superior.
ELEVATIONS
RENDER, PROJECT BOOK AND WORKING MODEL
