EERJ. Adaptation of the inner ward in El Real de la Jara Castle, Spain by villegasbueno architecture

Article source: villegasbueno architecture

A thick, dense and kind blanket, trimmed off to the necessary minimum, to transform a stark interior into a space for the people. 

The intervention takes place in the “Castillo de El Real de la Jara”, a fortress dating from the 14th century, located on the highest point of the hill right north of the village, in the county and Natural Park of the North Range of Sevilla. The commission was made by the Diputación Provincial de Sevilla, and has been funded by the FEDER Operational program for Andalucía for Sustainable development and social cohesion project for the North Range and South Range of Sevilla. 

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

• Architects: villegasbueno architecture
• Project: EERJ. Adaptation of the inner ward
• Location: El Real de la Jara Castle, Spain
• Photography: Jesús Granada
• Software used: Rhinoceros, Grasshopper3D
• Completion date: january 2013.
• Gross area: 1.409 m2 Budget: 147.588,00€ Construction cost: 104,74 €/m2
• Design and Construction Management: Miguel Villegas Ballesta, MSc Architect.
• Design Co-author (no signature): Lourdes Bueno Garnica, architect.
• Design Team: Ignacio Hornillos Cárdenas, arquitecto
• Construction Quantity Surveyor: José M.R. Sánchez Tello, arquitecto técnico
• Health and Security Management: José Manuel Cruz Camúñez, arquitecto técnico
• Construction Company: Construcciones Francisco Manzano S.L.
• Client: Diputación Provincial de Sevilla, PROYECTO DE OBRAS DE ADECUACIÓN DEL PATIO DE, ARMAS DEL CASTILLO DE EL REAL DE LA JARA.

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

The castle courtyard has few historic remains of very little value localized on its northwest corner, though the fortress had a strategic situation, on the “Banda Gallega”, a defense line built to protect the south from possible Portuguese invasions. This line can be still perceived through the visual connection with the nearby castles of Cala and Santa Olalla del Cala. 

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

The main factors of our design approach were an extremely tight budget, the preservation of the heritage character of the castle, total respect to the previous interventions -despite their quality or value-, bringing the immaterial property back to the village and guaranteeing the use of the castle as a gathering place for its people. 

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

To minimize the intervention, in the design we took profit of the natural steep grounds of the castle formed by the natural rock substrate and the preexisting spatial structure the castle doors and walls gave, with just two series of retaining walls to enable the use of the space. 

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

The intervention becomes a new public square, the castle walls as urban fabric, the doors as street-like entrances, the interior a place to enjoy.

A new urban space surrounded by nature. 

Image Courtesy © Jesús Granada

Image Courtesy © villegasbueno architecture

Image Courtesy © villegasbueno architecture

Image Courtesy © villegasbueno architecture

Tags: El Real de la Jara Castle, Spain

Categories: Grasshopper, Memorial, public spaces, Rhinoceros

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