On September 19th, the Getafe City Council launched a call for ideas for the regeneration and urban design of a new neighborhood in the municipality, named “La Aviación.” This area corresponds to the land of the Getafe Air Barracks (ACAR), formerly owned by the Ministry of Defense.
The name of the area, chosen through a popular vote among residents in 2023, is intended to accommodate affordable housing, green spaces, and the future expansion of the Carlos III University campus. In total, it will add around 221,000 square meters to the municipality.
According to the City Council, it will be essential to incorporate into the urban fabric the prominent elements of the military installations that are part of the area’s heritage and identity. These elements will have a “second life,” as they will be transformed for reuse as spaces for civic and social activities.
Among these, building 97 stands out and will be called “Getafe Urban Laboratory”. After rehabilitation and adaptation, it will become an exhibition and documentary space aimed at becoming the city’s archive and museum—an authentic promoter of the history, evolution, and culture of this Madrid municipality.
This regenerative intention draws directly from the values of the European Commission’s New European Bauhaus initiative, a philosophy strongly present both in the drafting of the competition guidelines and throughout the project as a whole. Given the dozens of possibilities that arise, along with the modification of the town’s General Urban Development Plan (PGOU, in spanish), there is a desire to invite European architects and their ideas that are not only creative and innovative but also sustainable, inclusive, beautiful, and high-quality.
A jury will select the proposal that offers the highest quality and excellence solutions. It will be made up of Iñaqui Carnicero, Secretary-General of Urban Agenda, Housing and Architecture and National Contact Point of the NEB in Spain, as well as members of the Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) and other renowned architecture professionals. The perspective of the neighborhood community will also be highly considered through the participation of a representative from the City’s Social Council.
Technical, functional, architectural, cultural, and environmental aspects will be evaluated. Of course, the competition will not end there; subsequently, professionals will be hired to draft a Partial Interior Reform Plan. The urban planning of the area will be detailed, requiring the selected architects to specify the elements and unique spaces.
In this first phase, open until January 7th, graphic and digital documentation must be submitted, along with all administrative documents specified in the annexes of the call. All detailed information and requirements are available on the COAM website. Do you believe you can strengthen the identity of the city of Getafe by reclaiming a vital space for its memory? Don’t hesitate to participate!
