Jorba’s Castle Phase 1
Jorba 2015-2017
Recovery of the approach to Jorba castell. Built work
- Architect: Carles Enrich Studio
- Client: Servei de Patrimoni Arquitectònic Local (Diputació de Barcelona) and Jorba Town Council
- Contractors: Pendís Bagà SL
- Archeology: SPAL i Mireia Sabaté
- Surface area: 240 sqm
- Photographs: Adrià Goula, Carles Enrich and Mireia Sabaté
- Awards: First Prize Bienal Española de Arquitectura y Urbanismo XIV, First Prize AJAC XI Awards, Selected FAD Awards, Finalist European Award for Architectural Heritage Intervention
The remains of Jorba Castle, a historic heritage monument, stand on the top of Puig de la Guardia, a hill of 549 m, forming a backdrop to the municipality of Jorba and a prime vantage point overlooking the territory of Anoia. The castle complex represents the sedimentation of different uses between the tenth and the nineteenth centuries. The project consisted in carrying out phase one of a master plan drafted to promote collective awareness of the origin of the castle as a lookout point and to restore local people’s relationship with the landscape.
The aim of the intervention was to facilitate access to the watchtower. The project took the form of moving 300 m3 earth produced by the archaeological excavation. All of the removed earth is use to create a new topography that extends and stabilises the route leading up to the vantage point. We designed an ascent of five runs of steps, following the restored structures that mark out the limits of the castle. The stairway comprises 20×12 cm timber sleepers, 60 cm and 120 cm wide. Finally, the way up to the top is marked out by eight corrugated rods with a diameter of 12 mm, and 18 metres of rope suspended 60 cm above the ground, indicating the route and the area that can be visited.
