Adaptaciones del patrimonio arquitectónico: intervención urbano - arquitectónica en la Casa Moreno Dentro del Corredor Cultural UCuenca

Abstract

The University of Cuenca has several cultural facilities: a theater, a museum, auditoriums, libraries, and maintains a direct urban link with the historic El Vado neighborhood, where it has five heritage houses, including Casa Moreno. Currently, the Casa Moreno, acquired in 2009, is uninhabited and the others are partially occupied by offices of different university departments, which makes urban life passive in its immediate context, since administrative activities limit interaction with the community. In the same way, the houses do not have a spatial connector or a program that integrates and connects them. Under these conditions, the research proposes the preliminary design of a cultural center in Casa Moreno that integrates into the program of Corredor Cultural UCuenca, starting in April 2023 and developed in parallel with this research project, which aims to revitalize the University’s heritage houses to serve the whole community through the implementation of mixed uses dedicated to art and culture. The study begins with the exploration of basic concepts that allow a general understanding of the urban and architectural characteristics of cultural projects, as well as their objectives and effects on the city and its heritage. Next, the architectural program is built, supported by an interdisciplinary methodology guided by the Department Ciudad Universitaria, by the analysis of the immediate urban environment, the review of the regulations and the documentary and architectural analysis of Casa Moreno. Finally, the intervention criteria are established through the application of restoration theories and case studies. The proposal for the new Cultural Center in Casa Moreno is closely related to the activity plan of the UCuenca Cultural Corridor project. At the same time, it aims to adapt to the dynamics of the neighborhood while exploring and enhancing the spatial qualities of the house. The project involves a close relationship with artistic activities, facilitating their free development and creative flow. Both the procedures and the outcome of the research serve as guides for future cultural projects that require adaptation to the built heritage in the City.