NATIONAL PARK SERVICES

GENERAL INFO:

The project is located on the north side of the San Juan Defense Wall which is part of the Spanish System of Fortifications at the San Juan National Historic Site. The Spanish System of Fortifications is the oldest European construction in the United States and one of the oldest in the New World. It is composed of forts, bastions and three miles of Defensive Wall System which were begun to be built in the early 1500’s and has been designated a World Heritage Site for its historic importance and its fine examples of Spanish Military Architecture.

The Project’s purpose was to develop 2 architectonic interventions that allow a close look to the magnificent scale, the beauty, and the intricate construction technique of the centuries old San Juan Defense Wall System. The projects take place at the Santo Tomás Bastion and Las Animas Bastion on the north portion of the Wall System and they include ADA compliant stairs that connect the upper Old San Juan with the lower La Perla Neighborhood, observation stations, and plazas. These interventions will provide a pleasant and didactic experience to the visitor by serving as a viewing platform from which to better understand the wall’s and city’s history. The design has been developed taking great care to not outshine the Wall with clashing geometries, materials, vegetation, or signage, but rather underlining the importance and significance of this “World Heritage Monument”. Great care has been put in the strategic illumination of the wall for the majesty of this monument to be appreciated at night. Also, construction materials and finishes have been selected to withstand the harsh tropical environment and the strain of being directly exposed to the Atlantic Ocean’s salty wind.