Restored buildings by ACCIONA Infrastructure

New ways of life, and the speed we live at, are transforming the urban landscape. Some buildings from previous eras run the risk of falling into disuse, the victims of neglect or indifference. The restoration of these properties, and their rehabilitation and adaptation for other uses, links past and future, and makes cities that much more habitable.

Sustainability is once again the watch word for ACCIONA Infrastructure on its mission to recover scores of flagship historic buildings and adapt them to the modern age. The company has made its mark on the heritage industry by polishing such jewels in our architectural crown and making them useful again, as part of its overall commitment to the philosophy of sustainability.

By maximizing the potential of what are, in effect, existing resources, ACCIONA Infrastructure has come up with an array of solutions to prevent these much-loved buildings falling into further disrepair - rehabilitating, converting and refitting them for new social needs.

This rehabilitation of historic buildings goes hand in hand with the idea of coexistence between modernity and heritage, conserving sites of great cultural value, while adding much-needed personality to our cities.

Thanks to its Restoration and Rehabilitation department, ACCIONA Infrastructure is converting spaces in disuse into modern installations, adapted to all sustainability, safety, comfort and energy efficiency standards.

The company can now call on many examples to testify to its experience in this area. In São Paulo, Brazil, for instance, it performed one of its most momentous rehabilitations, converting the Julio Prestes railway station into a concert hall with 1,600 seats. The station has thus been able, since 1999, to provide a home for the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, as well as the State Cultural Department.

This emblematic structure also now houses nine other performance and rehearsal rooms, and a library. Even some of its platforms are still in use, making the station an example of a multifunctional building fully integrated into the urban environment and ready to satisfy the city's different needs.

Another of ACCIONA Infrastructure's great milestones in the field of rehabilitation was the conversion of the Roger de Llúria barracks in Barcelona (northeast Spain) for use by the Pompeu Fabra University. This project, finalized in 2002, received the 2001 Barcelona City Architecture and Town Planning Prize.

Also for university use, this time in Toledo (central Spain), the company converted the Sabatini Building (which used to house the Royal Sword Factory) and the Madre de Dios Convent to be used as the Technological Campus and extensions of the Legal and Social Sciences Faculty of the University of Castile-La Mancha.

Other common redesigns include the conversion of properties into cultural spaces such as libraries and museums. ACCIONA Infrastructure has carried out many, but several stand out for their special and spectacular features. One of the most celebrated is the reformation of Conde Luna Palace, a 14th century gothic jewel and well-known heritage site in the Spanish city of Leon (central Spain). This has become a space for visiting exhibitions and is currently home to the Washington University in Spain.

Another example is the restoration of San Juan de la Peña monastery in Huesca (northeastern Spain), which now houses two visitor centers and a guesthouse. Another museum created out of an ACCIONA Infrastructure restoration project is the Almadén Mining Museum in Ciudad Real province, Castile-La Mancha (central Spain). Located in the old San Rafael miners' hospital, this 18th century baroque gem was the world's first hospital to give exclusive treatment to miners suffering from mercury sickness.

Similarly, the conversion of the former San Miguel monastery in Valencia (eastern Spain) into the coastal city's main library is another ACCIONA Infrastructure landmark in the field. These days the old renaissance monastery and one-time prison is home only to books and avid readers, but its heritage remains.

Conversion of disused buildings into administrative offices is another recurring theme. A perfect example is the former Seminary in Zaragoza (northeastern Spain), now a municipal government office housing 1,000 civil servants performing a large chunk of the city council's functions. Its special features include a 400-seat auditorium, library and it also holds the Zaragoza municipal archive.

On the same lines, in the city of Gijón in Spain's northern region of Asturias, ACCIONA Infrastructure transformed an old convent, next to the city's Laboral University and formerly used by nuns of the Order of St Clare, into a corporate headquarters for the new regional radio and television station entity - complete with recording studios, film sets and production and editing suites.

These and many other activities demonstrate how the firm commitment of ACCIONA Infrastructures to rehabilitation and sustainability has resulted in a successful business line within the company.

Rehabilitation is an attractive, modern, sustainable and efficient option. It restores the usefulness, and rescues from abandon, some true jewels of our cultural and architectural heritage - liberating them from disuse for the enjoyment of citizens and institutions alike.