Architectural Details: How To Restore A 14th Century Fortress - Architizer Journal

Architectural Details: How to Restore a 14th Century Fortress - Architizer Journal 07/05/2018, 23+10
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Architectural
Details: How
to Restore a
14th Century
Fortress
Estudio López Osorio’s project is a
shining example of architectural
courage.
Paul Keskeys
STORIES
Click here to enter the 2018 A+Awards
AWARDS
today and get your best projects
recognized by communities around the
world.
Estudio López Osorio’s stunning

restoration of the Castle of Baena in
Córdoba, Spain, won a 2017 A+Award in
the Architecture +Preservation category,
but the preservation of its historic ruins
https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/stories/architectural-det…utm_medium=email&utm_source=eloqua&utm_campaign=newsletter-weekly Page 1 of 13
was only part of the story. This project is a

shining example of architectural courage
— Osorio and his team were brave enough
to use contemporary construction
methods and materials where appropriate,
resulting in a hybrid structure that subtly
blends old and new, traditional and
modern, past and future.
Faced with the meticulous restoration of

one of Spain’s largest and most significant
monuments, the architects turned to the
history books before daring to touch the
construction site itself.
The existing site before restoration
“The process of restoring the historic

masonry has been carried out based on a
rigorous archaeological and stratigraphic
analysis that has revealed the different
construction stages of the building,” said
Osorio of the project. “A structure of
Islamic origin transformed into a
Christian fortress in the mid-14th century,
which was transformed into a palace in
the 16th century, and whose courtyard was
occupied by five reservoirs in the second
half of the 20th century.”
The building has been an incredible

cultural journey, inhabited by people with
vastly different religious beliefs, social
programs and everyday living conditions,

and this process has engendered an
equally intricate series of architectural
adaptions over the years. For this reason,
the firm was empowered to be bold with
its intervention: If there is no singular
heritage for the building to be tied back to,
why not create a modern iteration that
speaks to not just the past, but also to the
future of this structure and its context?
Prioritizing the recovery of useable space

within the castle walls over the
preservation of a “historic” aesthetic, the
architects were not afraid to blend
traditional masonry with highly
contemporary, clean-cut stone blocks,
fusing old and new with bespoke
construction techniques. “The castle’s
new walls are constructed using
reinforced masonry made from sandstone
and stainless steel ribs,” explained Osorio,
“which are structurally linked to
reinforced concrete cores located in the
towers.”
The new masonry blocks appear

suspended within the steel framework,
with tiny amounts of mortar bonding the
stones and shadow gaps in between each
block. This assembly emphasizes the

contrast in texture between the faces of
each element: Outward faces are smooth,
contrasting with the crumbling ruins of
the existing castle walls, while the cracks
between each block reveal a glimpse of the
stones’ more natural, rough-hewn
qualities.
In between the masonry towers, walkways

were constructed from iroko wood, a
hardwood from West Africa known for its
excellent durability. Architect Lopez
Osorio relied on “the work, experience and
expertise of Grupo GUBIA, an
architecture office leader in the design
and construction of all types of spaces and
structures in wood” to develop this
complex system of walkways. Built using a
dark species of timber, these bridging
elements stand in contrast to the pale
stone of the castle walls, lending what
Osorio describes as a “warm and friendly
character” to the monument.
Each wooden walkway connecting the

towers is unique in geometry and size, but
all are composed of rhythmic slats of iroko
wood strung through a complex system of
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stainless steel rods, nuts and washers.

According to Osorio, this modular
arrangement allows for the easy
replacement of any part when necessary,
and the walkway details facilitate the
evacuation of rainwater, one of “the most
harmful agents to wood in outdoor use.”
Indeed, the design system and

construction techniques used also allow
for all interventions to be adapted or
removed at a later date; the project
possesses a degree of long-term flexibility
rarely seen in historic restorations like
this. As Osorio comments: “Through not
strictly traditionally mimetic materials,
which have offered certain degrees of
freedom in the interpretation of these
remains … they can offer guarantees of
durability and are arranged so that it is
possible to disassemble and replace them
if necessary.”
In doing so, the project was infused “with

the possibility of including new uses of the
monument that transcend the mere
contemplation of historic remains.” It is
not yet known what programmatic
functions might come to inhabit this
landmark structure, but its beautifully
articulated details ensure that the Castle
of Baena is ready for anything.
Now it’s your turn: Enter the 2018

A+Awards today for a chance to get your
projects and products celebrated by a global
audience of millions. The extended entry
deadline is May 25th, 2018!
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Architectural Details: How to Restore a 14th Century Fortress - Architizer Journal 07/05/2018, 23+10

B How architects find building-products.

Estudio López Osorio’s stunning

was only part of the story. This project is a

Faced with the meticulous restoration of

The existing site before restoration

“The process of restoring the historic

The building has been an incredible

programs and everyday living conditions,

Prioritizing the recovery of useable space

The new masonry blocks appear

block. This assembly emphasizes the

In between the masonry towers, walkways

Each wooden walkway connecting the

stainless steel rods, nuts and washers.

Indeed, the design system and

In doing so, the project was infused “with

Now it’s your turn: Enter the 2018

About Architizer More

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