Page 5 - AIT0518_Granada

SERIEN EIN WOCHENENDE IN ... • WEEKEND IN ...

Museo de la Historia de Andalucía (18) 2010 von • by Alberto Campo Baeza Parque de las Ciencias (20) 2008 von • by Carlos Ferrater Lambarri und Jiménez Brasa Arquitectos

4 p.m. – After we have gathered new energy for a further visit, we walk across to the Noon – Afterwards, we continue on to the Intervención en la Muralla Nazarí (12), an
Fundación Rodríguez-Acosta (4). There, we take part in a one-hour guided tour of a so- architectural project at Granada’s historic city wall which had been damaged over a
called Carmen in a prominent location, a building with a garden which the painter José length of 40 meters during an earthquake in the 19th century. The Spanish architect
María Rodríguez-Acosta, suffering a creative crisis, had built for his own inspiration in the Antonio Jiménez Torrecillas closed the wall in 2006 by complementing it in its original
first half of the 20th century. As part of the guided tour, we see a small exhibition with form with staggered stacked stones of granite. The section of the wall is hollow and thus
works by local artists as well as the garden with various terraces and fragments of historic accessible. By omitting individual stones in the layering, a play of light is produced.
elements such as copies of Roman statues and columns. 12.30 p.m. – We start the descent along the historic city wall and, about halfway down,
5.30 p.m. – For descending the Sabikah hill, we choose one of the narrow alleys leading arrive at the San Nicolás (13) viewing platform – in front of us is the Alhambra and, in
down to the Realejo, the former Jewish quarter, and to the Campo del Principe where the the distance, we make out the snow-covered Sierra Nevada. Here we can rest for a
faculty of architecture of the Universidad de Granada (5) is located. The building was moment, order a drink on one of the terraces or take a quick glance at the garden of the
originally the palace of the Mendoza family before it was converted, first into the resi- mosque – we are safe from the herds of tourists there. The further descent leads us
dence of the Archbishop and later into a military hospital. Since 1980, the building has through Albaicín, a popular historic district with narrow alleys, white houses and cypres-
been owned by the university which held a competition for yet a further conversion. For ses. We arrive at the Darro, one of the two rivers in the city in the south of Spain, follow
its implementation, the architect Victor López Cotelo was given the national architecture the Paseo de los Tristes (14) and discover the Arab bath Bañuelo (15).
award in 2015. The appreciation of the historic heritage and the impression of an archi- 2 p.m. – After the extensive walk, we deserve a rest and go to the La Vinoteca restaurant
tectural unit are the cornerstones of his concept. The result is a balanced interplay of (16) where we enjoy an excellent three-course menu (Menu del Día) with a glass of wine.
local building tradition and modern elements. Those who still fancy an ice cream should definitely drop in at Los Italianos (17) on Gran
6 p.m. – Ten minutes later, we arrive at Cuarto Real (6), a palace ensemble with surroun- Vía and try the house special – the “cassata” will delight them.
ding gardens from the 13th century. From here, we walk through the Realejo, where we 3.30 p.m. – On Gran Vía, we take the LAC bus to the modern part of Granada. Having arri-
encounter numerous graffiti by the famous Spanish artist El Niño de las Pinturas, until ved at the destination, no less than three exciting buildings await us: the Museo de la
we reach the Isabel La Católica square (7) where a statue of Queen Isabel and Columbus Historia de Andalucía (18) and the headquarters of the der Caja Granada (19), two buil-
awaits us. In 1492, Isabel and her husband Fernando succeeded in conquering Granada, dings by Alberto Campo Baeza, as well as Parque de las Ciencias (20) by Carlos Ferrater
the last kingdom under Moorish reign. In the same year, a visionary seafarer, whose voya- Lambarri and Jiménez Brasa Arquitectos. The buildings by Baeza form an urban unit and
ge only became possible thanks to the support by the Queen, set foot on unknown ter- yet, inside, they both have their own character appropriate for the respective use: In the
ritory – Columbus discovers America. We stroll on until La Alcaiceria (8), the former Arab bank, a light-flooded atrium and the square as the dominating geometry await us whe-
market where we find souvenir shops today; then we walk past the cathedral to one of reas the museum surprises with an elliptic courtyard and a double-flight ramp.
the liveliest squares in Granada, Plaza Bib-Rambla (9). 6.30 p.m. – We take the bus back to the old part of the city and get off at the cathedral.
8.30 p.m. – After an impressive day, we end the evening with tapas and a glass of wine Art enthusiasts may choose between the Centro Federico García Lorca (21) and the
in a typical Spanish bar. Ideal for this is, for instance, the Tocateja (10) at Plaza de Centro José Guerrero (22), both museums can be reached in just a few minutes and
Trinidad, a small, cosy bar in the city centre which is mainly frequented by Spaniards. offer temporary exhibitions. The building of the Centro Federico García Lorca is the result
of an architectural competition of 2001 which the MX-SI Architects won. The forecourt
Sunday: from historic to modern Granada appears to widen into the building and the border between inside and outside dissolves.
The Centro José Guerrero is a project by Torrecillas which was implemented with maxi-
10 a.m. – Today, we take a trip to the Sacromonte district. For this, we board the C2 bus mum respect for the cultural heritage. The exhibition is staged as the Promenade de
at Plaza Nueva which brings us to the Museo Cuevas de Sacromonte (11). For many cen- Arquitectura and leads us further up the stairs until, in the end, we unexpectedly stand
turies, the caves in the mountain had served the minorities of society, for instance the in front of a panorama window allowing a view of the impressing cathedral (23).
Jews and the gipsies, as housing. In the museum, it is possible to visit some of these 8.30 p.m. – Right next to the cathedral, we find the Romanilla 530 (24), the ideal restau-
“cave dwellings” which give us a hunch of the individual groups’ living conditions around rant for enjoying the last evening in Granada. Unplastered brick walls and elegant furnis-
1900 and also remind of the origins of the flamenco in Andalusia. hing on top of it give the restaurant with its Mediterranean cuisine its unique charm.

052 • AIT 5.2018