RECOVERING AN OBSOLETE HYDRAULIC STRUCTURE FOR THE TOWN’S PEOPLE
This project by gallegoarquitectura showcases the Bassa Nova pond by means of an intervention that respects the memory of the place, uniquely recovering its urban function as a space for recreation and leisure.
It pays tribute to the pond’s original function, preserving its appearance with a 15-cm deep, fine stretch of water that replaces the original depth of over two metres and ensures a safe space to play.
The intervention also includes a new walkway that offers visitors a hitherto unseen view of the site, enhancing its heritage value.
RECOVERY OF THE BASSA NOVA POND IN REUS AND ITS SURROUNDINGS
The Bassa Nova is a hydraulic structure built in the latter half of the 19th century in the city of Reus, in the province of Tarragona. It was designed to store and distribute water for agriculture and drinking, and its surroundings were popular places near the city centre for the people of Reus to spend time and stroll. This social use disappeared in the mid-20th century, when the gallery that filled the pond fell into disuse and the surrounding area became rundown.
This project recovers and adapts the pond and its immediate surroundings, including the Camí de la Bassa Nova, a path connecting the structure with Passeig de la Boca de la Mina, also restored a year ago. The intervention covers an overall surface area of 3,907 m².
The pond as a space to spend time and play
The main aim of the intervention was twofold: to recover the heritage value of the place, and to open it back up to citizens, recovering its urban function as a space for recreation and leisure.
The intervention pays homage to the original function of the pond, with water as its central element, and promotes its present-day use as a place to play. To do so, the project raises the bottom of the pond to recreate a stretch of water that is just 15 cm deep with a surface area of 676 m², using a special system of lost formwork on small pillars to fill in the deposit and save on the use of reinforced concrete. With the elimination of its original depth of over two metres, the pond becomes a safe space for children to play, without losing its original appearance of a full pond.
The new walkway
At the point where the irrigation channel that fed the pond with water is situated, a walkway of corrugated rod irons was added, leading into the centre. In this stretch, the project maintains the original depth of the deposit and part of the canal that ran through it, enclosed at the end. This allows visitors to understand the functioning of the hydraulic infrastructure by viewing its real former depth and enjoying the fall of the water from the irrigation canal. They can also move into the central space and enjoy a whole new perspective, accentuated by the effect of walking out over the sheet of water. This path is laid out opposite the original hut that served to control the outflow of water, levels and quality.
The change in depth of the deposit involved dismantling the original ceramic surface, made of 23 x 23 cm tiles, which were restored and then laid to create the paving of the spaces around the pond.
Landscaped terraces
Around the edge of the site, small retaining walls have been built to address the differing levels of the land, forming a series of steps overlooking the Camí de la Pedrera path for use by the public when the Bassa is closed. The tiers create a large landscaped area, for which fragrant Mediterranean shrubs such as rosemary or lavender have been chosen, with climbing plants for the walls and the pergola. This vegetation coexists with the seven century-old plane trees that bear witness to the past.
A singular materiality
The deposit area is surrounded by a fence made of vertical rod irons, to which two horizontal bars are added for the necessary rigidity without reducing visibility from the outside. The bars are also used in the railings on the ramps, the pergola and the walkway around the pond, giving the whole space material continuity. Other materials used are brickwork laid in different patterns and coarse sand for much of the pavement.
The presence of the pergola
On the east side, coinciding with the entrance to the place, an exposed brick wall and an accessible ramp address the difference in levels and create a diagonal route, culminating in a welcome structure with information panels about the place and a fountain. Next to the entrance is a pergola made of rod irons, with evergreen vines, bougainvillea and ivies planted around the base to offer natural shade, both in the hot summers and in increasingly warmer, sunnier winters.
In addition to its obvious function as a shelter, with tables and benches that allow al fresco dining, like in the past, the pergola complements the upright presence of the plane trees, with which it coexists respectfully without detracting from their central role.
