A STAIR THAT LEADS YOU TO THE SEA / CARPA OLIVERA / COLECTIVO URBANO / PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEO BY ONNIS LUQUE

The Carpa Olivera center, built in 1915, used to gather plenty of celebrities and renowned personalities of its era. Although, a hurricane destroyed the venue in the 50s` and remained abandoned until almost a decade ago, yet again, it couldn`t regain its bygone glory due to vandalism and lack of care.

 

Recently, a group of five architects, Colectivo Urbano, decided to take immediate action and restore the center using the sea water to fill the pools and cleaning up the space. A new element has been proposed, a spiral slide with a beautifully sculpted geometry, which adds a different perspective of social communication and redefines fun and interaction between its users. Its shape seems to be carved by the tidal wives, giving the impression that it has always been there.

 

The lower level of the site is a shaded, refreshing area with benches, water fountains and other useful services such as restrooms and showers for the visitors.