Until October 16, 2023, the second edition of TAC! Urban Architecture Festival will take place in the city of Valencia under the temporary Mediterranean pavilion designed by Manuel Bouzas. Located in the Plaza Músico López Chavarri in the Carmen neighborhood, the pavilion pays homage to vernacular architecture in response to the Mediterranean climate and the role of the Mediterranean shutter, a mechanism that for centuries provided an effective, simple, and lightweight solution for sun protection, allowing habitable spaces to adapt to climatic conditions.
Bringing together contemporary architecture and young practice with a focus on urban and social issues, TAC! Urban Architecture Festival 2023 emphasizes the role of architecture in addressing climate challenges within urban environments, aiming to find possible solutions to mitigate their consequences and impacts. Taking place in Valencia until October 16, as well as in Donostia-San Sebastián from October 10 to November 13, the proposals submitted in the public competition for the construction of each temporary pavilion addressed themes related to the use of sustainable and reusable materials, urban renaturalization, the dialogue between landscaping and architecture, the economy of means, or the reinterpretation of traditional architectural elements to mitigate climatic effects.
With over 70% of the projected global population expected to live in cities by 2050, architecture and urban planning become essential in addressing environmental and social challenges. TAC! is a call to rethink architecture as a fundamental part of everyday life and an opportunity in times of crisis and uncertainty. - Sol Candela, Director of the Arquia Foundation.
As Iñaqui Carnicero, Secretary General of Urban Agenda, Housing, and Architecture at the MITMA, argues, architecture represents a fundamental tool for addressing the challenges of society today, encompassing issues such as the climate emergency, energy efficiency, and the health and well-being of people. Additionally, Nuria Matarredona, General Director of Architecture and Urban Agenda at MITMA, also highlights the importance of initiatives like TAC! by providing young architects with the opportunity to construct their first impactful public work.
TAC! aims to be an experimental platform where young architects can demonstrate to the public how architecture is also a fundamental tool for social transformation. - Javier Peña Ibáñez, Artistic Director of TAC! Urban Architecture Festival.
Presented by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda (MITMA) in collaboration with the Arquia Foundation and in partnership with the Ajuntament de València and Las Naves, architect Manuel Bouzas's ephemeral pavilion proposes a construction considered the largest shutter in Valencia. This pavilion, functioning as a refuge for the city's inhabitants, establishes a meeting point with contemporary architecture and design, along with hosting numerous cultural activities of the festival. In the author's words, the pavilion is conceived as an "urban shutter that, instead of protecting a window, covers an entire square, and instead of sheltering a single individual, brings together an entire community."
The Mediterranean pavilion is based on two triangular wooden frameworks that suspend an Alicante-style shutter made of the same material in the form of a catenary curve. Through a circular opening in the same curve, an interior garden with local vegetation and soil is illuminated on a small scale. The project aims to promote a circular and local economy in the region, from its assembly using local materials and businesses to the recycling of its components.
Within the conceptual framework of the Misión Climática València 2030, the pavilion hosts a program of free public activities in collaboration with the Ajuntament de València and Las Naves. Exploring public space and its capacity for integration with various activities planned in collaboration with local entities, there are distinct proposals for colloquia driven by neighborhood collectives, celebrations in conjunction with the Association of Merchants of the Historic Center of València, workshops by the L'ETNO Museum on the uses of public space, talks by educational institutions such as EASD or UPV, and events by companies like IKEA.
During the pavilion's inauguration ceremony, it was also announced that the "Ciudad TAC!" competition for the 2024 edition is now accepting submissions. This is an open competition where all urban municipalities in Spain can submit their applications until October 27th, for the third edition of the festival. A jury will be responsible for evaluating the submitted proposals, which will be announced on November 13th. Additionally, an exhibition featuring 44 standout projects from the open call for the design of temporary pavilions can be visited until October 13th at the Territorial College of Architects of Valencia (CTAV).
- To find more information about the program of TAC! Urban Architecture Festival 2023, visit the official website.
