RESTORATION PROJECT OF THE ROYAL MINT OF SEGOVIA
1. Criteria for the architectural project
At the end of the year 2003, the drawing up of the project was begun, a project which was completed in 2004. As with the development of the work itself, the scientific committee of the Real Ingenio Foundation were consulted in relation to all the data concerning the history of the complex and the functioning of the original hydraulic mills, their arrangement and the outer system of channels. The basic criteria already adopted in the draft and which have been left unchanged for the composition of this project are: -HISTORICAL, marking out the historical period of the building from its founding to the end of its operational era (1587 to 1868). -TOWN PLANNING, integrating the establishment in the tourist circuits and walking tours around Segovia. - ARQUITECTURAL: physical recovery of the complex – falling to ruin—, restoration of the site and rehabilitation which fosters its historical and architectural values and its singular elements, preserving its nature as an enclosed fortress. -LANDSCAPE, as an important part of the façade of Segovia along the Eresma river and highlighting the singular nature of the courtyard as a viewpoint for the Alcázar.
This project establishes a functional programme based on the following aspects:
- Consolidation and rehabilitation of the existing buildings, the spaces and the communications between them, such as the Juan de Herrera staircase. - Creation of a workshop on the minting process with the aim of recovering the original techniques used in the Ceca’s heyday. - Preparing the complex for cultural and leisure functions through the creation of the Museum-workshop, conference area, restaurant, library and residence for researchers. - Regeneration of the banks of the river Eresma, recovering the Romantic Garden and the outer hydraulic structure from the original project.
2. Layout of the Complex The complex is organised in the following way:
Alzaga Gate: monumental entry located in the upper part of the complex. All the buildings are arranged around the two existing courtyards —upper and lower— due to the pronounced slope of the terrain. “A” (Coin-Minting Workshop) and “C” (Guard House): the so-called “A” building, designed by Juan de Herrera and finished in 1585, together with building “C” will house the access to the Museum (building “C”) and the museum itself with two levels of exhibition: permanent and temporary. The reconstruction of the original hydraulic system, the hydraulic mills and the different processes of minting coins and engraving will be displayed here. The usable space of the Museum building (A and C of the Project) is 1,178 m2 and its total floor area is 1,838m2.
Building “B” or Ingenio Chico: devoted to the minting of silver and gold, it will house the prospective restaurant, with views over the water channels and access to the former smelting and bleaching building, planned for use as the restaurant terrace. Its usable space is 418m2 and its total floor area is 688m2. Building “D” or “Cultural Building” within the complex: former Edificio de Fundición [foundry], libranza [where the metal is admitted], storage room and archive. It houses the programme of temporary exhibitions, research centre, library, archive and education rooms, with a usable space of 1,254m2 and 2,089 m2 of total floor area. Building “E”: former stables, houses, carpenter’s workshop and palace of the Brotherhood of Santiago. It is currently used for the administration related to the Museum and the Foundation and the residence of grant holders and researchers. In an annexed area, partially buried, the control centre of the complex is located. Usable space of 461 m2 and total floor area of 565 m2. Romantic Garden: the project aims to restore the pre-existing design, together with the fishing pavilion, the existing fountain and the dating of the botanical species. It is organised around a series of different platforms connected via ramps and steps due to the existing pronounced slope. The complex has a usable space of 3,311m2 and a total floor area of 5,180m2, approximately. The materials budget amounts to a total of 5.087.282,72€, the total budget being 7.258.535,20€.
3. Development of the buildings works
During the works, started in the year 2007 and in accordance with the architectural projects carried out, a series of modifications to the original design have been undertaken: • In the Cultural Building “C”, the basement has been removed and the walls reinforced owing to the poor conditions of the terrain on which it is laid. An addition to the building post 1829 has also been demolished due to its irrecoverable state, which has allowed access through the Alzaga Gate once again and enlarged the opening. • Building Ingenio Chico: the façade has been cleaned and the hollows of the walls have been rehabilitated, creating an access route along raised walkways over the channels which supply the hydraulic system. • Museum Building: the upper part of the Guard House, added at the beginning of the 20th century, has been demolished. Part of the walls had to be reconstructed and micropiled as a consequence of their poor condition. The original sewer of the building has also been restored. • The channel built by Sabatini in 1792 has also been restored. • In the remains of the smelting and bleaching building, together with the Ingenio Chico, the layout of the interior has been maintained and the remains of the perimeter walls, these having been repaired. • The supporting wall between the upper and lower courtyards has been micropiled and stabilized, allowing for the demolition of the existing buttresses, added after the wall was erected by Juan de Herrera. copyright @ Text and images by Eduardo de la Torre, Architect.
ROYAL MINT OF SEGOVIA C/ DE LA MONEDA S/N 40003 - SEGOVIA Tel. 921 475 109 www.casamonedasegovia.com casademoneda@turismodesegovia.com