Nasrid Tower in Huércal-Overa

About

The restoration of the Nasrid tower of Huércal-Overa, built in the 14th century, has in theoretical terms pursued a dichotomy between the timeless solidity of a preexisting, medieval construction and the lightweight, provisional character of a contemporary intervention. This approach has led, first, to the elimination of false features and additions that had adulterated the pristine form of the tower; second, to the recuperation of the original entrance set four meters above ground; and finally, to the raising of new elements with a material quality that makes their obsolescence clear. The most important of these elements is the new entrance staircase, cylindrical and clad with CorTen steel, which also serves as the node of a veritable promenade architecturale that, from the surroundings, leads to a series of platforms where visitors can stop and rest and, in remembrance of the building’s initial function as the watchtower of a fortress, observe the desert landscape of devastating beauty... [+]

Sources

• Arquitectura Viva