The Calatrava model: reflections on resilience and urban plasticity

ABSTRACT

The article introduces a critical reflection on the effects that the version of cultural capitalism based on large events and architectural symbols has on the resilience of cities when used as an engine, and not as a complement to the policies of urban transformation. The article introduces as a case of study the so-called ‘Calatrava model’ of the city of Valencia. The model of a cultural bubble of Valencia, designed to enable a new space, is developed and contrasted with other two examples of urban transformation designed to revitalize spaces: Bilbao – symbolically represented by Frank Gehry's Guggenheim museum – and the Barcelona 22@ – symbolically represented by Jean Nouvel's Agbar Tower. Through the notion of ‘plasticity’ we analyse how, despite the overall failure of the Calatrava model and its negative effect on the short-term ability of the city to absorb shocks, Valencia is able to adapt and absorb the urban transformation around the Calatrava's architectural complex and to incorporate it into their processes of dynamic resilience.

KEYWORDS:

• Calatrava model
• arts and culture
• urban resilience
• urban plasticity

ORCID

Rafael Boix http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0971-3464

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Philip Cooke, Luciana Lazzeretti and the anonymous referees by their valuable comments.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See Plaza, Tironi, and Haarich (2009), Plaza and Haarich (2015) and Heidenreich and Plaza (2015) for a more detailed explanation of the project and the success of the Guggenheim museum.

2. See Pareja-Eastaway (2016) for a more detailed explanation of the project and current achievements. Although we focus on the 22@, the effects of the project on the city should be understood as a part of other relevant planning activities, such as the previous Olympic reform of Barcelona and subsequent projects.

3. The explanation focuses on the labour market for simplicity and for being where the changes were most evident. A more consistent evaluation would require the use of more indicators and a longer period of time.

4. Audiovisual, broadcasting, computer programming, R&D services, publishing, architecture and engineering, advertising, design, and arts and entertainment industries.