Portal de Murcia
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| The courtyards to the west and south will become squares linked and open to this new pedestrian environment of the city, which will culminate the healthy axis of Alfonso X El Sabio.
The pedestrian area is multiplied by eight, going from 370 to 2,800 square meters | The Mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, together with the Councilor for Sustainable Mobility and Youth, Rebeca Pérez, the Councilor for Sustainable Development and Huerta, Antonio Navarro; and the councilor for Culture and Heritage Recovery, Jesús Pacheco, attended the start of work on Phase I of the Old Prison today, “a strategic city project that is conceived as a great public space of reference in the heart of Murcia , with a pedestrian environment open to all Murcia, without barriers and with permanent activity ”.With a 12-month execution period and a budget of 1.9 million euros, the recovery of the building of the former Provincial Prison of Murcia, “will become a bright, open and participative space, respectful of the past and projecting towards the future to give back to Murcia what is theirs, "stressed the mayor," adding that "the new configuration gives prominence to the pedestrian, enabling new squares and gardens for the stay and pedestrian spaces and accesses, following the principles of the Murcia plan.
Pedestrian".More than 50% of the budget, that is, 1 million euros, have been financed through the European Regional Development Fund 2014-2020, within the framework of the DUSI Murcia Strategy.In addition to the recovery of the main building, which has a total built area of ??1,322 m2, and its adaptation for uses of a social, cultural and recreational nature (with an exhibition hall, conference room, space for historical memory, etc.), Landscaped outdoor spaces will be created and new pedestrian accesses will be opened around the property and from different sides of the building, as well as a bike path."The courtyards to the west and south originally closed will become squares linked and open to this new pedestrian environment in which the pedestrian area multiplies by eight, going from 370 to 2,800 square meters, a new space that will culminate the healthy axis that constitutes Avenida Alfonso X El Sabio, passing through La Circular ”, indicated José Ballesta.The building of the old Murcia Provincial Prison, which has been closed for 39 years, is listed as a Singular Element and is characterized by its cross-plan architectural layout, creating a set of separate rooms and landscaped courtyards.
It was built at the beginning of the 20th century, inaugurated in June 1929 and closed in 1981.Phase I: head buildingThe head or building of access to the complex, in which the presence of a coat of arms of the province of Murcia stands out above the access door, is proposed as a completely permeable property open to the city, where the citizen may transit perimeter or through of the existing patio without architectural barriers.Conservation of the old towersBoth the right wing and the left wing of the building, which are currently divided, will be connected by a glazed module located on the rear facade of the building, so that the perception of the main facade does not change.In addition, public spaces located in each of the two naves of the building will be created and there will be an access with a reception on the ground floor for the three public spaces, with a vertical communication nucleus.The old watchtowers and the northeast outer perimeter wall (adjacent to the Post Office) will be maintained.
In these perimeters a lattice of metal profiles and variable spacing will be installed, seeking the total permeability of the patios with the city and a greater sense of spaciousness in the urban environment that the building reveals to the citizen.Phase II, next stepThe City Council is already working on Phase II and will shortly put out to tender the specifications for the award of the execution project, which will comprise a total area of ??8,000 m2.The two construction phases support the idea that the main building and the panopticon building work independently, and a third access will be opened from the north-west of the center to the north module.
These three entrances will enhance the opening and flexibility of the complex, enabling different modes of operation depending on the needs of the center.Committee of Experts on Cultural MattersThe Committee of Experts on Cultural Matters convened to study the different uses of this property has defined the Old Prison as a “multi-purpose cultural emblem”.According to the minutes of the conclusions of the meetings of this team of experts, “the coincidence is unanimous when considering that the architectural and spatial structure of the building (cross plan, with large adjacent courtyards), its singularity and its history, demand a space for fusion of influences and cultures, open-ended, not specialized in a specific discipline ”.Thus, it is established that "the public space must not be corset with rigid uses, but must be defined with a flexible character, open to any influence or future trends in cultural and avant-garde matters."They also advise "keeping the cells on the ground floor of the East module, with an area of ??196.5 m2, in order not to lose the memory of what the interior of the building was in its entirety and provide a multitude of spaces of different dimensions and possibilities , creating a spatial wealth and uses ”.Experts estimate that the adjacent courtyards can be used as terraces, for projections or cultural events during summer.
"It would be about creating a cultural and multipurpose 'mall', a fusion of leisure and culture, without specialization in a specific discipline," indicate the conclusions.They also propose to maintain the planned auditorium as its expansion is architecturally unfeasible.
Likewise, the need to enable entrance and lateral waiting spaces is indicated, in order to be able to directly access the auditorium area.
In this sense, it is stated that subsequent access to the auditorium through a perimeter vestibule is essential for its operationThe central area of ??the panopticon should be clear, bright and flexible.
This space is presented as multipurpose and can host various activities while being configured as the nerve center of the project flows.
Source: Ayuntamiento de Murcia
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