Air-Raid Shelters of Almería / Ferrer Arquitectos

Architects: Ferrer Arquitectos
Location: Plaza de Manuel Pérez García, Almería, Spain
Design Team: José Ángel Ferrer
Architectural Technologist: Manuel Alonso
Internal Collaborators: José Antonio Cuerva, Miguel G. Haro and Fernando Mateos
Photographs: Jesús Granada

External Collaborators: JG Ingenieros, Secoal Ingenieros and Sondeal G&M
Contractor: Construcciones Tejera

The project aim is to renovate 4,500 metres of underground tunnels running 8 metres below the surface and to build an entrance pavilion. When tackling the renovation project, we found two issues that would have a considerable effect on the final outcome: Firstly, the renovation of the tunnels had to guarantee the safety of visitors, meeting the current regulatory requirements, but without detracting anything from the original spaces; secondly we needed to design entrances that would enable the high number of expected visitors to be controlled in this protected historical setting.

The entire design is full of explanatory texts in an attempt to link the project to its physical and cultural context, paying the utmost respect to the already existing features and conserving the original character of the site.