Caribbean and Global Links / Architecture / Urban / History / Publications / Organizations / Contacts
Home
Published by the Architectural Resources Network
Mail to: sejota@tricom.net (Carlos Jorge)
Morovis: The Urban Condition. Morovis, Puerto Rico. 1992
Emilio Martínez, Arquitecto
Emilio Martínez
with María Magdalena Campos and José Rafael Ramírez
40th Annual P/A Awards
Urban Design Citation.
Site:
Morovis, a hill town in the Colinas del Norte subregion of Puerto Rico.
Program:
a master plan to "reestablish the idea of beauty in an alienated town characterized
by chaos and disorder."
Solution:
The plan seeks to rectify what the architects see as the errors of Modern planning
in the town by "creating new public spaces and establishing a network of spatial
sequences that integrates existing open spaces with the new ones." Specific interventions
include a new neighborhood that connects a detached suburban housing project with the
town center, a new park on a creekside site currently occupied by squatters' shanties,
and a reconfigured main plaza with a new city hall (oriented to face the church across the plaza). In order to discourage sprawl and encourage the projects in the plan,
a limitation on urban growth is established.
Jury Discussion
The Urban Design jury found the scheme "simple and straightforward." John Kaliski
observed that it is "based on a very accepting and careful look at the life patterns
that were there." They admired the degree to which interventions such as new open
space were associated with the life of the village. The jury voiced concerns about the design
of particular elements, including the new city hall, but, said Alan Ward, "We're
hopeful that the actual design resolution will advance, and we feel that it's a significant effort at the right scale of thinking." Thomas Beeby concurred, adding that the
plan has "reinforced the patterns of the town in a very consistent way without disrupting
them."
from Progressive Architecture 1:93
