Intervention for the revaluation of the architecture and cultural landscape of salt in Galicia
The cultural landscape of the Ulló salt fields needs an intervention, a re-linking of this natural area, located on the Vigo estuary with its proto-industrial salt past. So, how to link the proto-industrial past to the natural area of Ulló? This project seeks to activate the memory, for which the proposed actions are both functional and architectural as well as poetic and educational, seeking the feeling of belonging and improving the experience for visitors.
Local
Spain
Galicia region, Pontevedra, Vilaboa municipality
It addresses urban-rural linkages
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
This project speaks of the memory of abandoned productive landscapes. How to intervene in these abandoned spaces so that the work of society lasts over time? This is answered both with the exhaustive investigation of the past and the present and by linking current economic activities (like educational or leisure) to past ones (proto-industry).
Thus, the intervention in the landscape of the old Ulló salt fields starts from the investigation of the abandoned heritage, the salt fields and the existing buildings in ruins from the XVIII century. Thus, the concept that unites all the elements is still the trace of human activity in the landscape, so the salt will be the element that links everything in this area.
The salt, the ruins and the vestiges existing in the area are the connecting concepts of this project, as they are the existing references. Thus, a sack of salt is conceptualised with a cage of gabions, or an image of workers loaded with salt on their shoulders is sought to make a path more pleasant to walk along with porches reminiscent of this figure.
We remind the reader that salt was the engine of the economy in the past and that it has been lost, which is why this project seeks to bring it back to the history of this part of Galicia.
Heritage
Cultural landscape
Old salt fields
San Simón Bay
Galicia
The proposal seeks sustainability and low environmental impact from the conceptual phase. To this end, three constructive elements are differentiated, the interventions with wood and ceramics, the interventions with gabion cages and finally the stone interventions.
Treated pine wood will be used in several constructions of this project. The aim is to reduce the impact on the territory with a high environmental value. It is sustainable from the point of view that there are companies nearby that work with the material and its use has been increasing in recent years in the region of Galicia. Pine wood is used for constructions with greater structural requirements, such as the hut and the salt pavilion, where it will be driven into the seabed. Technological wood is also used, which increases the service life of the flooring. The ceramic roof, which is well preserved and allows bio-colonisation, is a compromise with the construction of the site's past.
The gabion cage interventions are composed of stone and galvanised steel to enclose them. Although it seems that the use of steel is not sustainable, it is quite the opposite, as it increases the useful life of the walls formed by small stones and serves as a support. It is a small investment that will create useful spaces, including one that can serve as a small amphitheatre. It is important to say that gabions constructions are fully reversible.
The stone bordering the salt square will be pieces of local granite, which will reduce the impact of transport. In addition, the use of this material avoids the need for reinforced concrete footings in the courtyard of the Ulló farm.
Finally, the intervention in the landscape will add tourist value to the municipality of Vilaboa, whose small rural centre, O Toural, will be a meeting place for visitors and will allow this area to be revitalised or visits to be organised regularly.
The design of the pieces has been linked both to the natural space and to the concept of salt as a product of the territory. To this end, the entire design is based on the balance at the strategic level, where the places where the pieces of the landscape are to be implemented are defined. Subsequently, the elements that will mark this area are designed, seeking to affect the natural environment as little as possible.
On the one hand, the elements whose construction is more rigid, such as the car park hut, the salt pavilion, the salt porticoes or the small roof of the salt patio are materialised as small lines and planes that fly over the visitor, to provide shelter and protection. Thus, the salt pavilion consists of two roof planes (emulating an old salt warehouse) that do not join together but fly over each other, in a small deconstruction with the warmth of pine wood.
The other wooden elements are complete deconstructions of the space, as in the case of the salt field installation, where the poles with light will give meaning to the space at night. Also in salt paths, the wooden post pier extends the view towards the island of San Simón.
Finally, the design with gabion cages seeks to endure over time, to remind us that the footprint of work is collaborative and brings together many tasks, as in the case of this construction element. The plan design of salt paths generates two differentiated spaces, a place to stay and a corridor to continue the visit. In addition, functionally, the incorporation of technological wood makes it pleasant to sit and play with the elements. The design fills these cages with white stone, which gives them a curious aspect of purity.
At present, the Ulló salt fields lack adapted car parks or adapted toilets. One of the key objectives of this proposal is to include these in the project, so that it is integrated into the esplanade of the hut and the pedestrian pavement is improved, changing the uncomfortable ecological pavement for people in wheelchairs for compacted gravel in accordance with the natural space.
Another of the proposal’s strong points is the posts indicating each of the interventions, a pine wood post driven into white gravel with epoxy resin. The name of the intervention will be included on these posts in Braille so that people can experience this space sensorial, and discover Ulló.
On the other hand, the minimum regulatory spaces are respected in the rest of the facilities, and even the width of the passageway for wheelchair users complies with the minimum necessary parameters.
One of the greatest impacts of this research has been the discovery that local visitors know little about the history of the place, many of them are even unaware of the area's past as a salt marsh. Undoubtedly, the greatest benefit for the citizens is to link this natural space with its history, providing new social and cultural values.
With this, the Ulló salt fields allow the farm to be linked to the salt fields, making people understand that they are an indivisible whole integrated into the history of Vilaboa. The locals will see the history of their village reflected in the place, and they will enjoy seeing how foreign visitors discover that there were salt fields in Galicia in modern times.
In addition, the Ulló car park is currently halfway between the centre of Vilaboa, O Toural and the town of Arcade, which could be a boost for the centre, improving it as a new centre, even moving the tourist office to this place in summer and organising summer visits to the facilities, which would provide employment in the town council and new dynamics with this centre.
Finally, this space could host small markets or a traditional local festival by providing toilets and lighting at night.
From the beginning, the Vilaboa town council was consulted about the possibilities of this site. This administration has been in contact to inform about a European research project on the site, but it was not possible to join forces due to the deadlines and the fact that it was already underway. The plan is to involve in this project the city council, the CSIC, the deputation of Pontevedra and, if necessary, the European Union.
On the one hand, the project of the Grupo de Acción Local do sector Pesqueiro (GALP) developed the project "TRANSFERENCIA DE COÑECEMENTO DOS PAISAXES DA SAL DA SAL COMO RECURSO TURÍSTICO" (TRANSFERENCE OF COÑECEMENTO DOS PAISAXES DA SAL AS A TOURIST RESOURCE). (https://galp.xunta.gal/ria-de-vigo-a-guarda/transferencia-de-conecemento-dos-paisaxes-da-sal-como-recurso-turistico) to which this project tried to adhere but could not, despite holding meetings with those responsible for the project, a team of archaeologists (Tempos archaeologists) and members of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). The idea is to resume these contacts from Vilaboa town council.
On the other hand, the town council of Vilaboa collaborated by providing all the available documentation, such as the municipal planning and old land registry, encouraging the presentation of the project once it is finished. This is a point in favour of continuing with the drafting of a construction project, which could lead to the approach of the provincial administration and possibly the search for European funds for its development.
There are several disciplines involved in this intervention. The research carried out prior to defining the proposals is tangential to the fields of archaeology, history, architecture, urban planning, landscaping, civil engineering, ecology and marine biology.
From an archaeological and historical point of view, the ruins of the Ulló farm and other constructions are studied and drawn in detail. Plans were drawn up of all the elements and assumptions were made about the functioning of the different interior and exterior spaces. Computer graphics are also made to render the old aspect of the farm but are not represented in the annexed panels. It is also important to know the history, what they needed to live in this place or what day-to-day life was like on a farm.
Ecology and marine biology define the line of action in the marsh and lagoon. These sciences are combined to get to know the high environmental value of the Ensenada de San Simón, a Natura Network site, a Site of Cultural Interest and part of the ZEPA Network. The intervention of the salt pavilion seeks the maximum respect for these conditioning factors, such as molluscs, bivalves, and Anatidae birds...
Architecture, urban planning and landscaping mark the design line for civil engineering. That is to say, there is no intervention in the landscape without more than that, but there is a concept that articulates all the elements to give a poetic sense to the environment. The link between these has been seen. The landscaping is even projected at night, prolonging the view towards the marsh and the hut.
One of the main reasons for intervening on a more poetic basis in these abandoned salt marshes is precisely the natural transformation of this landscape. It is difficult to imagine salt pans in this place and today it would be costly and complicated to recover this space, even in a small portion of marshland.
The interventions investigated in abandoned salt marshes were not far from the temporary abandonment of these areas, which is why they are usually environmentally recovered and the existing constructions rehabilitated. This concept is different in this respect. With a low cost, both in terms of construction and maintenance, an educational and memory effect is achieved in the population, as well as involving the neighbours, as in the case of the salt patio, where it is necessary to replace this element periodically.
Undoubtedly, incorporating the salt element into the design line is one of the biggest differences, seeking poetic analogies with the product of the landscape. This would apply to other cultural landscapes, such as abandoned quarries, where it seems logical to use this element to construct the intervention, or to a modern port, where goods containers play a key role and would therefore have an infinite number of uses in the event of intervention.
Although the concept is based on poetic analogies with salt and salt work, most of the elements can be transferred to natural spaces with similar characteristics or to other abandoned salt pans, establishing a network of visits to these places, such as those closer to the south of Ulló de Larache.
It is important to point out here that the Ulló site is not suitable for bathing, as the mud and marine sludge make it uncomfortable, which is why the project led to these solutions. However, the result could be replicated in almost any space. Generating spaces with gabion cages, as in the case of salt paths, has infinite possibilities and is also completely reversible over time.
On the other hand, aligning wooden posts in the sea could be used for navigable circuits in kayak or canoe, as even the Vilaboa rowing club is close to these facilities, which would be compatible with a unique space at the bottom of the Vigo estuary, making it possible to hold night kayak festivals in the San Simón Cove.
The salt patio, a clearing in the forest, can be replicated with other forms or layouts, opening up spaces in abandoned places, and eliminating non-native tree species (eucalyptus) to mark the place and inform the visitor of the dimensions of the architecture.
This intervention focuses both on the challenge of climate change and on the reduction of the ecological footprint and the generation of wealth in local communities, as well as favouring people's health and also light traces of electricity generation (light) from renewable energies.
On the one hand, the investment in the installations proposed for Ulló is low, as all the materials are manufactured locally. In addition, the project does not need to be executed all at once, but the facilities can be built as the return in visitors for the Vilaboa town council increases, as this heritage will help to dynamise the area with the neighbouring cities of Pontevedra and Vigo.
In addition, the possibility of generating employment, both with the construction and maintenance and with seasonal employment in summer, both in the organisation of visits with the hiring of a tourist guide or the replenishment of salt in the salt patio and the filling of seawater in the INOX steel trays in the salt pavilion.
On the other hand, the Ulló facilities are on a circuit several kilometres long, which will motivate both children and adults to exercise and sport, encouraging healthy and educational activity simultaneously.
Finally, the posts of the salt marsh will have small LED light bulbs with an integrated solar panel, which will promote the use of renewable energies in Vilaboa.
