TURIA GARDEN JOINT. LANDSCAPE RECOVERING OF THE TURIA RIVER CHANNEL, VALENCIA

In order to reduce flooding risk in the south of Valencia, the ¨South Plan¨ was carried out in the 60's, diverting the Turia River. Over the years, the old riverbed was converted into a metropolitan park and the city has grown to reach the banks of the new river channel, which has become part of the city landscape and is surrounded by industry and services. The new river channel is a huge vacant space, populated by spontaneous vegetation. The link between the old river bed (present day Turia Park) and the new river bed is a forgotten space comprised of orchard fragments and large motorways. This projects seeks to intervene in the in between, connecting new and old. The design strategy is based on the reconstruction of natural slopes, covering and minimizing motorways and their impact. The riverbed is recovered and naturalized along with the addition of new water ponds, pedestrian and bike paths, viewpoints, and landmarks. The continuity of the recovered landscape along different sections of the old river is the driving design concept.