MUSEUMIZATION OF THE GERMANÍAS PROMENADE
SHELTER Nº1 GERMANÍAS
Restoration and museumization of the Paseo Germanías and the Civil War Refuge Nº1 | 2024 | Paseo de Germanías / Jardín de la Concordia, Elche | Production: Proyectable Estudio | Promoter: City Council of Elche | Documentary sources: Municipal Historical Archive of Elche / Pedro Ibarra Chair, Miguel Hernández University of Elche.
Web Elche City Hall
Published in Information | teleelx | Alicante Plaza
A HERITAGE RECOVERY AND URBAN RECONFIGURATION PROJECT
The Paseo de Germanías in Elche has been the object of an integral intervention that combines architecture, museography and urban planning to recover its historical and functional value. This project has transformed the public space and the Air Raid Shelter No. 1, integrating both elements in a proposal that values historical memory, urban identity and accessibility.
The intervention has redefined the Paseo de Germanías as a meeting and learning place, where museum design and sustainable urban planning converge to create a unique experience for citizens. The shelter’s original entrances have been rehabilitated and an open-air museum has been incorporated into the plaza, where exhibits provide information about the historical context of the shelter and its impact on the local community.
HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF THE GERMANÍAS PROMENADE
The Paseo de Germanías is a key space in the history of Elche. From its origin in the agricultural land surrounding the city to its transformation into a bourgeois promenade and social enclave in the twentieth century, it has witnessed numerous historical stages.
During the Spanish Civil War, the construction of the Air Raid Shelter No. 1 turned the square into a strategic point for the protection of the population. However, fragmented urban interventions in later decades diluted its identity and its ability to connect with the urban fabric.
One of the fundamental axes of the project is the “time line”, an architectural narrative that organizes the space and guides the visitor through the historical landmarks of the Paseo de Germanías. This resource, materialized in steel, runs through the square connecting the Cross of the Fallen, the accesses to the shelter and other heritage elements, reinforcing the identity of the place as an open-air museum.
