Plans, video & WITH HONORS: Raquel García Cano
Teamwork during semester: Raquel García_Rodrigo Aranguren_Joao Torrecilha

What is a beach?

Beaches are much more than just sand and water. They are spaces of public domain that can hold many different activities simultaneously depending on the desires of the user. Only a few elements define the space, such as the maritime path, the lifeguard seat, the umbrellas, and sometimes changing cabins. It´s the user who has the power to colonise the space and use it freely as they want.

These ideas are translated to the Palace of Sueca´s Duchess, in Madrid, as a rehabilitation of the existent.
The palace turns into a beach. There is no sand, no water, but there is a "maritime path" that structures the spaces by a continous circulation, from where other elements appear: changing cabins, wifi and temperature totems, installations and a floor that changes of form and use. The program is organised in three main groups: wellness, leisure and culture.


What is the result?

A system called PLAYA (beach) that functions like one and it´s used to rehabilitate buildings from heritage, respecting the existent and allowing the user to be part of the process.