To great controversy among the locals, an ancient Arab fortress, Matrera Castle, was recently restored. Built on a hill in the 9th century in Andalusia, the southern part of Spain, the onslaught of the Moors vs. the Christians throughout the years, the environmental challenges and finally, torrential rains 3 years ago brought about a castle that was about to crumble. The city, which considers this their cultural heritage to protect, decided to restore the remaining tower and few leftover elements rather than let them too collapse.
Carlos Quevedo Rojas had to abide by the restraints of the Historical Heritage Law which “Prohibits mimetic reconstructions and requires the use of materials that are distinct from the originals”. Along with these perimeters, the need was to structurally consolidate the “risky elements”, differentiate the new from the old, and recover the stature of the tower.
There’s been quite a bit of “discussion” surrounding this restoration, as locals have called it a “massacre” even as the results were those expected by the Ministry of Culture. Look at the photographs below, what do you think?
Here’s a photograph of the restored tower… using differentiated material, it’s clear what is from remaining from the 9th century and what’s not!
Image courtesy of: Archilovers
A detailed rendering of the crumbling castle and the restoration design suggested… and approved.
Image courtesy of: Archilovers
Carlos Quevado, the architect,said that his aim was to show what the castle would have looked like when originally built.
Image courtesy of: Archilovers