Riells Square
The surroundings of the village of Riells are formed by Gallifa cliffs and Bertí Cliffs, a rugged and calcareous terrain with reddish soils. The proposal intends to recover the old town for the citizen in dialogue with the surrounding landscape.
Its historic centre around the church of Sant Vicenç and the cemetery, both from the eleventh century, is paved with solid reddish brick recalling the tonality of the land of the cliffs that surround the town, managing to integrate the final image into the natural landscape and achieving a unitary whole around the church. A single platform is proposed to improve accessibility and return public space to the citizen. A new hanging lighting recalls popular festivals and its past as a summer village.
The existing well in the square is recovered as the central point of the geometry of the new pavement, of the water’s collection and the location of the new fountain. A linear bench runs along the church achieving rest areas without losing the versatility of the square, while solving the humidity problems suffered in the interior nave. A new tree which dialogues with the existing fig tree at the top of the bell tower, provides shade to the living area.
In the area of the viewpoint, the existing slope is solved by introducing a staircase-step, and a solid railing is proposed which hide the buildings of the lower terrace, enhancing the views of Bertí Cliffs.
Two characteristic natural elements of the place are enhanced: water (recovering the memory of the place) and earth (reddish earth of the environment and landscape that dialogue inside the old town through the solid bricks).
