The heart of Valencia city gets a makeover! The city’s biggest square will get more trees and the fountain will get a beach. Read more details about the new plans for Plaza del Ayuntamiento Valencia in this article.
You have town hall squares and you have Valencia’s town hall square. Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Spanish for town hall square) in Valencia city is an insanely large square with imposing buildings and more attractions. From early morning to late at night, it is a pleasant gathering of people here and there is a vibrant city atmosphere. Yet it could be better, Valencia City Council must have thought, as they organised a competition where people could submit ideas for a new design of the square. A plan called Re-Natura received the most votes from the jury.
What to see at Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia?
First of all, Plaza del Ayuntamiento is a square with many monumental buildings. An imposing city hall, an impressive post office and a fountain are some of the photogenic structures that you will find in this square (in the evening all also very beautifully enlighted!). In the square you will find some flower stalls and along the square several catering establishments and stores. The Plaza del Ayuntamiento is often used for events, from concerts to publicly accessible Zumba classes.
The square is also used for the mascleta, the Valencian popping fireworks show seen (and heard!) mainly during Fallas celebrations.
Re-Natura at Plaza de Ayuntamiento, a project with a focus on sustainability
The Re-Natura project is focused on nature. A larger “green zone” will be created, expected to be four times what is there now. This takes into account the mascletas, by placing trees around the mascleta area that release their leaves in the fall. All the space for the spectacular mascletas during Fallas in March!
The design also takes into account Valencia’s rainy season, where sometimes a huge batch of rainwater comes down in a short period of time. There will be areas with a type of paving that can better drain rainwater and replenish the groundwater table.
The statue dedicated to Francesc de Vinatea will disappear and be placed in a location to be determined.
The fountain will keep its place, but this area will undergo major remodeling. Where the fountain is now only decorative, it will soon serve more as a place to unwind. It will even be surrounded by a small beach where you can paddle in the heat of the day.
Finally, attention will be paid to installing energy-sustainable lighting.
On November 3, the team drafting the project will be announced. This team will have six months to work out the project. After the tender, the implementation period will be 12 to 15 months. We are very curious!
See more photos of the new Plaza del Ayuntamiento here or watch the video below.
Living in Valencia
Valencia is a city with a good municipal government. For example, the Plaza de la Reina project was recently completed (result: car-free and lots of space to relax and enjoy the beautiful square). And there are many more great plans to make the city even better than it already is.
Check out more reasons to move to this beautiful city!
