EMF Landscape Architecture

Tudela (Club Med) Restoration . Cap de Creus

EMF Landscape Architecture . photos: © Martí Franch . © Pau Ardèvol . © Esteve Bosch . + Landezine

In 1961, on the eastern tip of Iberia Peninsula, Cap de Creus cape, one the windiest and most northern exposed corner of our geography, Club Med constructed a privative holiday village with 430 buildings to receive around 900 visitors 3 months a year.

The urbanization project it is considered as one of the most notorious examples of modern movement settlement on the Mediterranean coast. With the advent of democracy and the rise of ecological consciousness, Cap de Creus was declared Natural Park in 1998. The cape, including Club Med surroundings, was classed with the highest figure of land protection because its outstanding geological and botanical values. In summer 2003 Club Med ceased activity.

In the period, 2008-10, Club Med has been ‘deconstructed’, its ecological dynamics revived and a network of paths and viewpoints as been ‘remade’ for its rediscovery, becoming Mediterranean coast biggest restoration project ever. The work distills and enhances the consubstantial values of the site, the diversity of geological formations, the harshness and nakedness of the rock outcrops, the specialization of native vegetation, the wind and the sea magnificence. Five actions are contemplated in the restoration project:

1. Removal of Invasive Exotic Flora (IEF), Carpobrotus edulis
and other 10 species on a surface of 90 ha. IEF once planted in the Club scattered around displacing specialized maritime rocky native communities of EU protected flora.
2. Selective deconstruction of 430 buildings, equivalent of 1.2 ha of edification and 6ha of urbanization.
3. Management & recycling of 100% of construction waste, 45.000 m3, reusing ‘in situ’ local stone for landfills, and transporting ceramic materials outside for civil works.
4. Ecosystem dynamics revival, remaking the site’s topography and drainage systems, to reestablish the original sediment flows and exchanges between land and sea.
5. Discovery & social valorization. Including 3 main interventions:
- Hierarchical path system recycling existing paths and promoting circular routes.
- Main path (2km) structuring the site’s discovery, it reuses the existing main road and reduces its section from 7-4 m to 3.5 m while homogenizes paving treatment with asphalt. At the beach, 250m are newly redone to recover the beach full dimension, once quartered by the former road system.
- Secondary paths, out of concrete, leading to the main viewpoints
- Tertiary paths, ‘without firm, out of low disperse railings, which leads to the secondary network of viewpoint and sensitive areas.
- Network of viewpoints to enhance best panoramas.
- Animal-rock identification. Traditionally fishermen’s and kids had identified rock formations with animal names for its orientation, Dalí did too. The project, proposing a game of perception constructs a sort of ‘lecterns’ outlining the ‘animal-rocks’ silhouette

Landscape architects: EMF landscape architects: Martí Franch / Collaborators: M. Batalla, M. Bianchi, A. Lopez, G. Batllori, L. Majer, C. Gomes M. Solé, L. Ochoa, J.L Campoy
Architects: J/T ARDÉVOLS S.L. Ton Ardèvol / Collaborators: Raul Lopez, Cristina Carmona.
Location: Cap de Creus cape, Cadaqués, Catalunya, Spain
Commissioned by: Parc Natural del Cap de Creus / Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino. Generalitat de Catalunya. Gestora de runes de la construcció S.A
Construction companies : Tragsa, Control Demeter, Massachs i Jardinería Sant Narcís.
Area: 200 ha
Period of design: 2005-2007
Implementation period: 2009-2010
Photographers: Martí Franch, Pau Ardèvol, Esteve Bosch
Video by: ieLei – Producció Audiovisual