When structures of yore fall under ruin, it is imperative to employ means and find ways to preserve their magnificence, corporeally and in memory. Sometimes conserved as protected areas and structures and at other times commemorated through photographs, sketches and texts, a substantial portion of historical cities often ends up contained within gated and ticketed premises or within the pages of historical archives that are seldom scanned. In separating past events and sites from the present and elevating them to episodes that gradually begin to resemble mythical tales and sagas, one also begins to separate themselves and their current state from the narratives that pervade these erstwhile stories. The result is a recurrent disregard for archaic wisdom and practices, in favour of newfangled processes.

While adopting new innovations is integral to the growth of a people and their civilisations, the routine dismissal of older learnings only serves to withhold progress, as one repeatedly tends to try and test processes that may have, earlier, been proven unfeasible. In order to escape the cyclical neglect of our histories, it is essential for primitive scholarship to make a presence in diurnal dialogues as well as for archaic spaces to accommodate extant activities. Adoption and integration of oral traditions in contemporary music, art and films, as well as the refurbishment of older structures to host both public and semi-public pursuits are integral to retaining lessons from our past. The adaptive reuse of past structures into offices, residences, galleries or performance centres, hence, is, perhaps, one of the better ways to go about this goal. A recent project in this realm is Spain-based HUMA Arquitectura’s recent endeavour in the realm of restoration architecture, namely, House of Water.

House of Water is a restoration and adaptive reuse project located in Cartagena, in Murcia, Spain. It is accommodated within the ground floor of Casa Dorda, which initially functioned as an 18^thcentury convent for the Discalced Carmelite nuns, and was later transformed by Victor Veltrí, a 19^thcentury architect, into a mercy house. The original structure stands on load-bearing walls, with a cloister surrounding the central patio, which houses gardens and fountains. House of Water hosts the new headquarters of the city's water company, Hidrogea. The water company, post-pandemic, intended to create a new system based on care and service to the citizens. They intended to inhabit a space that could catalyse mutual respect for each other, as well as a proximal closeness to nature. HUMA Arquitectura, hence, developed the water company's headquarters in a space that speaks of past lives, while also integrating the inclusion of vegetation, light and water in its interior design.

Reflecting the perenniality of the historic structure, its new function as the centre for an enduring necessity, is fitting. Further enunciating the symbolism of water and its relevance in tandem with the project, the studio shares, “The water justifies the meaning of the project. It is from the water, from where the place takes its new life today, in the iron will to reflect its recumbent spirit. Thus, the new materials used, seek to represent water as a link.”

While the glass intrusions in the space represent the transparency of water, terrazzo floors (structured in situ using a mass of white cement, sand and mixed aggregates) reflect water’s resilience and versatility while adapting to new spaces. The surface of aluminium represents the reflectivity of water and the continually fitted canvas tiles illustrate the immateriality that characterises water. In addition to materials that depict its many moods and attributes, water itself makes a presence in the building, as a material in its own right.

Juxtaposed against the load-bearing walls, the arches and vaults of the structure (which were restored using the original materials, hence retaining its authentic appearance), the new materials depict a link, between the structure’s history and its new role. The space, located on the ground floor in one of the main commercial routes of the city, has earlier been used by various brands. This resulted in some damage to the structure, which was hidden under drywalls and other temporary additions in the space. On being asked about the issues that existed in the space prior to HUMA Arquitectura’s intervention on the site, Jose Amoros Martínez, co-founder of the Spanish studio, shares, “Regarding the old part, there were load-bearing walls that supported the first part of the building and the gallery with a ribbed vault of the cloister enthroned the patio. Subsequently, a building was erected on this space and we had to integrate all the concrete pillars that crossed the space randomly according to the demand for the new use of housing located above. The main objective of the project has been to integrate the old structure with the new one under the same concept. Try to make them live together in a single space without divisions.” The refurbishment of the space also includes the implementation of an updated service design for electricity, internet, air conditioning and plumbing. While these facilities remain hidden behind the new parts added in the space, they are visible in portions where they pass over the older structure.

Through the expanse of the interiors, one witnesses the usage of glass as a tool for the compartmentalisation of various spaces. Across the expanse, transparent glass walls define spaces for the growth of vegetation, while also serving as light wells. The result is the creation of an open and airy space, illuminated by skylights. The transparency of glass helps retain the fluidity of the space, while also making it appear limitless, despite the closely placed glass sections. This feature, along with the inclusion of plants, helps relieve the sensation of distress that emerges in closely packed interior spaces. Additionally, glass is also used in the furniture that dots the space, as well as at the work tables and the customer service counter. Triple layers of tempered glass, fitted with intermediate glass broken in situ, cast a wet effect similar to that sustained by water droplets resting on a surface.

Aluminium additions to the space are reflective. Fitted on the ceiling, walls and existing pillars, they reflect light off of all frontiers, hence, helping create a space that seems limitless. The subtly coloured terrazzo floor, imbued in a bluish pigment, is another nod to water, within the interior space. The fourth prominent material within the headquarters, the patterned canvas tiles, are spread across the floor and walls continually, without gaps. “Creating a continuous mirror without joints, which returns in its face everything that comes close to it. The void that reflects everything, from where the space is amplified,” the studio defines the presence of the canvas tiles.

In keeping with the function of the structure (as the headquarters for the city’s water company), HUMA Arquitectura integrated water as a clearly visible entity in the interior design and facade. It cascades along the corridors of the cloister, inviting visitors in with the sound of its fall. Water is also used on the facade of the structure, such that its continuous gush bathes the glass of the window facing the street. Since it was not possible for Hidrogea to place boards or posters on the facade of the protected structure, the Spanish architects designed these water features to inform visitors and passers-by about the usage of the structure.

Project Details

Name: House of Water
Location: Cartagena, Murcia, Spain
Area: 1000 square metres
Year of completion: 2023
Architect: HUMA Arquitectura
Client: Hidrogea
Design team: Alberto Amoros Martinez, Jose Amoros Martinez
Collaborators: Francisco Denia, Alberto Lopez; Andrés Ros, Andrés Fernández, Jose Aznar, Maria Dolores Melgarejo