URBAN RENEWAL
in BOROX, SPAIN
This award-winning entry for the 2018 Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition reimagines civic life in Borox, a town in Spain's Toledo region. The proposal addresses two municipal buildings along Avenida Piedad Colón—a senior day center and municipal library—transforming them into catalysts for urban renewal. By reorganizing traffic to create an enlarged market square, the design establishes a new civic heart for the town. A new senior day center anchors the square's southeast corner, its tower element engaging in dialogue with the nearby cathedral and linking two important public spaces.
From the expanded market plaza, an allée of relocated trees leads north toward a reimagined municipal library facing a second new public square, creating a unified civic sequence along the avenue. The architecture honors Borox's traditional building vocabulary—rubble-stone facades, cut-stone window and door surrounds, and ceramic tile roofs—demonstrating that contemporary civic needs can be met through forms rooted in local heritage. The proposal respects and elevates the existing urban fabric, serving as a model for how sensitive design can revive prewar town centers while fostering beauty, sustainability, and social integration.
Robert A.M. Stern Architects
Matthew Blumenthal, Patrick Alles, and Megan Zhang
2018 Richard H. Driehaus Architecture Competition Winner
