In Paul Engineer interesting conference given last Otaola Ubieta 21 May in the Demarcation of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro the COAC, with the title "The transformation of the city", emphasis was placed on the role of local management in implementing the planning. This exposed several interventions where this aspect had been instrumental in its development. The transformation of Bilbao Bilbao 2000 and Zorrotzaurre, and the IBA Emscher Park in the Ruhr, were some of ellas.Esta last was undoubtedly the greatest interest awakened in me, perhaps because the transformation of Bilbao nearest me and family.
IBA Emscher Park is the name given to the metamorphosis of the old industrial region of the Ruhr, Germany, between 1989 and 1999. It creates a large territorial park involving more than 80 communities, in order to restore one of the most degraded landscapes across Europe. It became a symbol and a stimulus for urban change, economic, social and environmental.
Ruhr
The Land Art or art of landscape construction is very present in this intervention. The IBA convened several international competitions to select artworks to install in this unique landscape. This caused some controversy among the public to see how invested large amount of money to hire artists to design lighting obsolete industries or extravagant sculptures, instead of using it in housing or other social needs.
Floodlit
However, this commitment to art helped reinforce the innovative online initiative and gave the large park of a system of milestones in the landscape. Many of these milestones and sculptures are made with industrial artifacts rather, strengthening the connection with the area and its history. Abandoned industries also became new attractions for visitors; engineering works of yesteryear with high cultural value. All this within the strategy to regenerate the economy and the environment degraded territory, enhancing the original character of the place.
Tetrahedron. Photos: Flickr
Industry as a place of cultural interest. Photos: Flickr
The image I found most attractive was the installation lecture called "The Wall" of the artist couple Christo and Jeanne Claude, textile specialists use to wrap gigantic buildings or public areas cover large, as his works "Valley Curtain", "Surrounded Islands" or the covering of the Reichstag in Berlin. But this facility is not used in textiles, was to be divided into two a gasometer, by a huge wall made up of barrels of oil. This gasometer Emscher Park is one of the largest tank-shaped structures of the world. It was built in 1928 and is now used as an exhibition space. Its structure is 110 m high with a diameter of 68 meters. Definitely a spectacular space.
The Wall, Christo and Jeanne Claude
For the realization of this wall were used 13.000 colored barrels. In addition to this installation documentation presented two works by the artists mentioned in other countries, "The Umbrellas" (Japan) and the covering of the Reichstag (Germany).
In this way it was possible to transform this already if unusual space.
The problem with this type of action is that, later, only perceive from the resulting images of art and architecture.
Thereby, is buried the immense effort of stakeholder coordination and management of huge resources behind.
Many public officials believe that to fix a city or region you just have to push through a flagship project and is already. When the issue is much more complex when you have to manage huge amounts of money, adequate funding schedule and avoid waste.
For this, needed ad-hoc administrative structures that can not be those with which municipalities usually have. Too bad so many efforts lost badly implemented approaches.
Here in the Canaries, we have many examples fruit of improvisation finds those who do not plan ahead medium and long term.
I have been in Emscher Park and marveled at the transformation of the old kilns park Thyssen, near Duisburg. A landscape architect Peter Latz work, I think it is interesting to visit and I recommend as an example of a job well focused and executed.
I consider this type of interventions or approaches, are a role model to regenerate degraded island spaces, and return them to the public as well as leisure spaces strengthening the economy of the place. However, I see difficult that can get ahead in Canary approaches like these,by inefficient management level contrasted, a part of the tangle rules in which we move.
Very nice, Ralf
The interesting thing, is you are actions that continue noses in our prejudices, because of the supposedly ugly can get something nice as they did in the tank space your city, santa cruz de tenerife.. See if elpróximo millennium refinery and leverage move something there and keep the Olympic flame!