Site: Alfafar, Valencia Built area: 6,000 m² Status: Feasibility Study
This feasibility study proposes a 6,000 m² recreational centre conceived as an “open matchbox” — a strong, simple volume strategically carved to invite the public inside. Located in a commercial area of Alfafar, the project is designed as a social condenser, offering a place of pause and interaction within an otherwise retail-driven environment. Small, carefully positioned openings along the perimeter act as thresholds, drawing visitors in from multiple directions and creating moments of visual connection between interior activity and the surrounding streetscape.
The internal organisation is structured around two distinct yet complementary components: a cinema complex and a series of bars and restaurants. The cinema occupies a more enclosed portion of the volume, acoustically insulated and inward-focused, providing an immersive entertainment experience. In contrast, the food and beverage areas are conceived as porous and outward-looking, encouraging movement, sociability and informal gathering.
The restaurant and bar zone is divided into three differentiated areas, each defined by materiality and atmosphere. One is wrapped in living creepers, forming a green, shaded environment that softens the architecture and enhances environmental performance. Another is clad in timber, creating warmth and intimacy. The third opens directly onto a central public square — the heart of the scheme — where terraces spill outward, allowing cafés and restaurants to overlook and animate the space.
This central square operates as a civic living room, hosting events, performances and everyday social life. Together, the contrasting zones create a dynamic recreational destination that balances enclosure and openness, entertainment and relaxation, architecture and landscape.
