ARCO, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. Juanjo Novella

ARCO and LA ROSA, Torrejón de Ardoz, Spain. Juanjo Novella

Title: “ARCO” and “LA ROSA”

This is a complex of two sculptures working together.

Placed in Veredillas Park, Torrejón de Ardoz – MADRID
2008 – Material: Steel and Painted steel- 20 X 10 X 6 meters and 6 X 4 X 7 meters.
Client: Municipality –

There was two parks or better said one park cut by a main street. Those two parts of the same park had a different urban treatment, the big one was open and friendly with citizens but the small one was dark with hidden sites. Citizens felt the place as unfriendly.

Two measures were taken, with each one a sculpture was created. 1st, La Rosa sculpture was placed in the small park, this sculpture is transparent, open and invites to approach. Several remodeling issues were taken on gardens in order to open spaces. 2nd, Arco “Arch” was created to linking two parks. A huge arch made with leaves collected from the same place joint both sides creating a whole.

This is an urban intervention project conducted with two sculptures and corrective measures in one of the parks. A large park was crossed by an avenue with the result that one of the parks, the smaller with a more occlusive design, looks like an unkind place where people did not dare to enter. The performance consists of a large arch linking the two spaces and the placement of a sculpture in the small park, also removal of visual barriers and remodeling of the park, have made possible the ennoblement of a central area of the city, now entirely won over to the city and with an artistic performance that is one of the most important icons of the city.