After the 1999 earthquake in the Coffee Axis of Colombia (which significantly affected the physical heritage of the Quindío and Risaralda states) La Tebaida could not fully recover. The “Revitalization of Public Space in La Tebaida” project emerged from the idea of instilling an urban identity in the residents of this municipality by improving its most representative public spaces.La Tebaida is part of a unique natural context. This urban and landscape project starts by recognizing the natural foundation on which the municipality is based as the integrator of all the spatial interventions. This understanding led the project to be coherent with its surroundings, seeking both physical and cultural quality.
The strategic location of La Tebaida enhances the municipality’s potential as a significant place within the “Coffee Cultural Landscape” of Colombia, declared by UNESCO as World Heritage Site on June 25, 2011, initiating a process of recognition and appreciation of this space within that established historical and tourist context. With the introduction of the revitalization project, the aim is to encourage the collective development of La Tebaida, a place that has gone unnoticed for years.
This design is based on two premises: first, to highlight and enhance the predominant natural component by preserving the abundant vegetation in its plazas and planting new species along the connecting roads; second, to create a comfortable and meaningful public space for its residents and visitors, prioritizing pedestrians and constantly alluding to the history and customs of the place. To achieve this, the entire public space is adapted to a single level, eliminating architectural barriers and discouraging vehicle use, aiming for a design that generates sustainable mobility, promoting walking and cycling with optimal conditions. All of this is articulated with other plans, programs, and projects of the Municipal Mayor’s Office. Through a serene proposal with simple geometries, the project seeks to give La Tebaida a new identity.
The intervention, divided into two stages, includes the design of the municipality’s two main plazas and their connection. With an approximate area of 24,000 m² of public space, where the natural landscape is the main actor, it is equipped with new urban furniture, commercial sales modules, basic service modules, and pergolas as landmarks. These plazas are located in the central part of La Tebaida and have a significant impact on the urban life of all its residents, making the public space an active platform for the development of a pleasant civic life.
The first stage of the project covers the Bolívar Plaza sector, the founding space of the municipality, and the Connections sector, a pedestrian corridor three blocks long. It was inaugurated on December 28, 2019, initiating a process of adapting the existing collective space that is expected to be complemented in the future with the execution of the projected second stage.
The landscape is also the accumulated stories in a place. This is how this project was understood, valuing and recovering the history of this municipality, from the layout of its parks, respecting its imposing trees, and recovering historical elements such as monuments and furniture, adapting all of this to a contemporary vision of a sustainable city, friendly to people and in harmony with nature.
Location: La Tebaida, Quindío. Colombia
Design year: 2018
Year Completed: 2020
