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Architects: El fabricante de espheras
- Area: 1582 ft²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Milena Villalba
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Lead Architects: Pasqual Herrero Vicent, Fernando Navarro Carmona, Eduardo José Solaz Fuster, María Amparo Sebastiá Esteve
Text description provided by the architects. The Tower-Castle of Espioca is an Asset of Cultural Interest with the category of monument since 1993. It is included in the General Inventory of Valencian Cultural Heritage as well as in the Inventory of Archaeological Sites of the Department of Culture of the Valencian Community.
The construction technique is closely linked to its very nature. The defensive structures from the Muslim period were characterized by the use of the rammed-earth technique as the main one. The construction was carried out with both local materials and labor. It speaks to us of the economy of resources and sustainability as in the case of the Espioca Tower.
Adress the works wouldn’t be possible without undertaking an in-deep study of both the visible monument and the possible hidden traces under the existing mound in the immediate surroundings. Therefore, a first archaeological follow-up phase is carried out in order to obtain relevant data concerning ancient structures which must have been built around the tower creating its exterior picture.
The wall structures of the tower still preserve their own trails characteristic of their traditional type of construction. For this very reason, it seeks to recover traditional jobs, techniques, and materials in order to restore lost stability to the whole. To this end, it has been decided to use the materials of the time. During Arab Period these materials were used to build that kind of defensive buildings. Our priority is to preserve the asset as well as to clearly differentiate between the original elements establishing a dialogue among the materials. Our premise is to preserve and raise awareness about the different historical phases of the monument.
The access to the tower will be through the original access. It will be possible with the help of a metal staircase done with two stringers which will be anchored to the ground; a stairway shall be placed on it too. This stairway will consist of a folded metal sheet that will reach the access level of the tower and will get into it.
The intervention represents an opportunity of intervening surroundings of great landscape value flanked by historical communication routes and monuments of both artistic and architectural value such as the Espioca Tower of Picassent.
