Sierra Blanca proposes 22-storey tower for El Bulto area in Malaga to gain green areas

The El Bulto area in Malaga faces a process of radical transformation in the coming years, driven by Marbella developer Sierra Blanca's proposal to remodel this area, in exchange for part of the building rights, as provided for in the current legislation. The municipal urban planning department opened a tender this year, which should be resolved in the coming months. It also includes the proposals presented by Urbania and construction company Guamar, together with Fundación Unicaja, as well as that of architect José Seguí.

With this information, SUR begins a detailed review of each of the three proposals for this area, which is set to become a new central hub, located between the high-speed AVE train station and the future marina and auditorium planned on the San Andrés port platform.

The Sierra Blanca project features a ground floor plus a 22-storey tower designed by prestigious Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid which would house a total of 153 market-rate housing units. The construction, which would also have tertiary uses, would have a facade front of 40 metres and a volumetric layout - the height would decrease towards the Huelin park area.

Sierra Blanca's project report argues that, by concentrating the residential uses foreseen in the general urban development plan (PGOU) in a high-rise building, the green spaces are increased. Therefore, the 8,150 square metres of landscaped spaces contemplated in the PGOU will be increased to 11,258.

The proposal, advised by consultancy firm Ejecución del Planeamiento, places this tower in the space currently occupied by the Cottolengo shelter, which would be moved to a new building on the corner of Paseo de Antonio Machado and Calle Góngora, according to an agreement that the developer has already reached with the Bishopric, if this intervention is successful. The new Cottolengo will occupy a plot of 2,800 square metres, on which the shelter will have 2,500 square metres of built space and a basement of 500 square metres for a minimum of 15 vehicles.

Sierra Blanca also highlights that the tower only occupies 13% of the 295 metres of the sector's facade on the Antonio Machado promenade, avoiding the formation of an architectural screen, which could lead to a negative report, as has happened in other cases.

The project keeps the Luis de Góngora public school in the same location but proposes the demolition of the municipal hostel and other buildings owned by the city council. In exchange, with the new development, which creates a large 21,055-square-metre block of interior facilities, the city council would have two plots of land "for uses it deems necessary and convenient for the area".

The proposal also includes the construction of two ground floor buildings plus nine for 40 social housing units (VPOs) each, with a cultural space on the ground floors. The aim is to rehouse the families who live in the houses that still remain in the area as heirs to the shantytown past of this area.

The football pitch next to the school would be dismantled to create an underground car park with spaces for public and private use. A new north-south-facing football pitch would be built on this car park.

Following Urbanismo's requirements, Sierra Blanca's plan keeps the port railway at surface level but designs the spaces to allow for future underground placement. A wide north-south boulevard would be laid out over this underground route.