They propose to revitalize Solano avenue

A project by the Cuenca architects Pedro José Delgado and Luis Felipe Pinos seeks the urban and architectural revitalization of underused spaces on Fray Vicente Solano Avenue, in Cuenca.

It is an academic research, which is included in a thesis presented by Delgado and Pinos for the Faculty of Design, Architecture and Art of the University of Azuay (UDA).
This road corridor is one of the most important in the city. Throughout this there are 12 monuments of famous people and buildings with architectural and cultural attributes.

For Delgado and Pinos, this artery, which is in the El Ejido area, has some areas and buildings that are not well used and can be used to respond to different needs.

"Although there is accessibility and ease for pedestrians, its route is not very striking and does not invite to be walked, this characteristic being more evident in the southern section ...", is cited in the investigative work.

It is proposed to convert this alley, for example, into Avenida de Las Artes and it is suggested to insert a variety of priority uses focused on artistic activities continuously along its length.

Likewise, with this plan, these professionals propose the implementation of the University of the Arts, where the Virgin of Bronze is currently located, which also overlooks Diez de Agosto Avenue.

There is the Monastery of El Carmen and the Parish Our Lady of El Carmen. "The useful percentage of this space is used as parking ...", according to the investigative document.

It also appears that the chapel of El Carmen, known as the church of the Virgin of Bronze is a piece that has great heritage value, but there are also stone walls, built to contain the hill.

The design of the University of the Arts has blocks of up to five stories, but without obstructing the view of the chapel that is there. Access can be via ramps and stairs.

Likewise, it is proposed to incorporate a subsoil with a patio, the same one that articulates the different blocks, and there is a magisterial room similar to a small auditorium.

The proposal contemplates the development of three schools that are for visual, performing and sound arts. An administrative area necessary for the management of this equipment was also projected.

It also plans to implement a library, gallery, bookstore, copy center, multipurpose classrooms, underground parking and an auditorium with capacity for 445 people.

For Gonzalo Clavijo, civil engineer and researcher, Fray Vicente Solano Avenue, planned in 1940 by Gilberto Gatto Sobral, a renowned architect, is one of the most important road axes in the city.

However, the urban dynamics in this area are deficient and despite having space for pedestrians, green areas, aesthetic and spatial characteristics of considerable value, it is not very attractive and does not invite to be walked.

A good proposal is considered by Pedro José Delgado and Luis Felipe Pinos, architects, to seek the urban and architectural revitalization of the underused spaces of this corridor, which is in El Ejido. (I)