Mercado Nacional de Ganados.

Creator: Begoña de Abajo Castrillo, Carlos García Fernández, Jesús Lazcano López y Irene Campo Sáez.

Phone: 91+34659630983

Study: estudio@espaciovacante.com

Web: www.espaciovacante.com

“Vacant Space” reflects on two contemporary issues. On the one hand the integration of infrastructures that have become disconnected spaces from the city due to a lack of use. On the other hand, an argument inherent to the contest question: How can we deal with that productive spaces to transform them into places of opportunity for the present and future city?

First of all, it is necessary to equip the building with an infrastructure that amplifies its uses, many of the already existing, upgrading the quality of the space and generating a new activity pole in order to attract citizens, reactivating the area and therefore the Manuel Barquín Park. On an urban scale, the axis of Avenida de la Constitución and Avenida de España are reinforced, while a new path is opened in the park, allowing these two streets to connect facing the North facade of the building.

As for the interior of the building, the challenge of the post-industrial city, and in particular the city of Torrelavega, lies in finding new opportunities and in integrating new uses for underutilized but emblematic buildings, such as the Mercado Nacional de Ganados. For this reason, the proposed strategy consists of relocating the administrative uses and services located on the side of the building, integrating them into a new band that, as a membrane, allows dividing the main space in two large areas. This will admit simultaneous uses, overlapping the livestock market with other proposed public and urban activities. The annexes, both the new space released and the peripheral ring, are transformed into flexible spaces activated through this operation, and connected with the city, while facilitating their independent use from the rest of the market.

With the proposal, the building is divided in two halves, allowing multiple combinations and space organizations for the activities that happen in it. The new piece that creates this situation is the SWITCH. This element hosts, besides the administration and market offices, the facilities and storage rooms that serve to the Vacant Space. At the same time, it is a discontinuous membrane that allows opening or closing completely the connection between both sides, upgrading the spatial conditions, the flexibility of use and the environmental conditions.