Valencia del Mar

 

The 32nd America’s Cup, hosted in Valencia in 2007 is, without any doubt, a world-class event that should be a catalyst for urban improvement in the same way that past Olympic Games and World Exhibitions have transformed cities around the world. The event draws attention to the harbor one of the most important areas in Valencia, one in need of a global vision to solve a complex problem that has been neglected for too long.

The competition Valencia del Mar-Marina Real Juan Carlos I, organized by the public entity Consorcio Valencia 2007, looks for a long-term and bold strategy for the new Valencia beyond the celebration of the 32nd America’s Cup. A strategy that not only has to incorporate the benefits of the event to the area but also address other urban conditions such as the growth of the industrial port, the current situation of the mouth of the old river, and the incorporation of neglected neighborhoods to the city.

Our project established a strong vision for the different areas of the competition, taking into account not only physical conditions but also social, economic, cultural, and ecological factors. Each one of the areas of the competition proposes a unique relationship between Valencia and the water, between the city and the sea, between the natural and the artificial. Plaza, River, Dock Channel and Marina bring together Valencia and the sea in a direct and definitive way, completing the urban fabric that connects the different neighborhoods, creating public spaces that relate the historic and cultural buildings, and incorporating new activities that revitalize socially and economically not only the area of the competition but also the surrounding area and Valencia itself.

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Type: Urban Design
Location: Valencia, Spain
Author: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP with OAB and Peñín Arquitectos
Lead Designer from SOM: Iker Gil
Year: 2006
Status: Competition