Construction of 17-19th century domes in the province of Alicante (Spain): the case of San Juan Bautista in Cox

From the late seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries, many religious temples have been built in the province of Alicante (south east of Spain) with brick domes as their main characteristic feature. Often, the limited data available about these remarkable constructions make rehabilitation interventions become into real research projects, with a high value for their historic conservation over time. The aim of this paper is to show a detailed refurbishment analysis of a religious temple built in 1778, showing the need of preservation of historic buildings as a part of the architectural heritage by establishing a common pattern of materials, geometry and constructive systems, specifically in their domes. In most cases, there was not an architectural project for the construction, that is why the analysis of any documentary and archival sources available is essential to find different ways to proceed on the use and maintenance of these religious buildings.

Summary of the evolution of the fortifications of Santa Barbara Castle in Alicante from its origins to the beginning of the eighteenth century

Since ancient times, Alicante has been considered a strategic location on the east coast of Spain. Situated close to the sea, it is protected to the southeast by the Cape of Huerta and to the southwest by the Cape of Santa Pola. The city lies at the foot of Mount Benacantil, a high outcrop which has been the site of defensive buildings since time immemorial due to its naturally strong position: it was undoubtedly one of the strongest natural sites in the Levant. Its summit, lying 160 metres above the sea, is topped by a series of fortified enclosures now known as Santa Barbara Castle. This paper briefly describes the alterations made to the castle fortifications from its origins through the Renaissance, including the Muslim and Christian periods until the late fifteenth century and subsequent alterations to adapt new bastioned fortification techniques, and depicts the status of the fortress in each period. This paper is the result of doctoral research carried out at different national and international archives and leading to a thesis presented in 2011.

Propuesta de renovación de la Calle Jerónimo Santa Fe en Lorca (Murcia)

Tras un análisis del actual funcionamiento del viario por la zona de la Calle Jerónimo Santa Fe en Lorca, que comprende el espacio que une dos rotondas: Rotonda de Bartolomé Pérez Casas y la Plaza del Óvalo, se detecta que es una vía que funciona como acceso o paso por el centro de la ciudad dada su alta IMD sobretodo dirección Murcia – Almería pero también es un eje comercial importante con numerosos comercios. Por lo que se ha decidido dotar a la vía de la importancia que merece dotándolo de parámetros como accesibilidad y movilidad tanto para el peatón como para el vehículo. Además se ha decidido incluir un espacio verde a la zona. El proyecto contiene un análisis de la situación actual y sus problemática, un estudio de soluciones y la propuesta escogida, materializada en el presente proyecto de reurbanización del ámbito de actuación.