This is 'Espartal', the ephemeral architecture that can only be seen in Alicante for a few days

During the next few weeks, the city of Alicante, known for its ephemeral art during the Hogueras festival, will host a new landmark.

'Espartal' is already erected in front of Casa Mediterráneo to celebrate the Urban Architecture Festival TAC! 2025.

The proposal, winner of the festival's ideas competition, aims to highlight one of the traditional construction materials in this area: esparto. From this Monday, when its installation was completed, until November 14, this pavilion—built from this plant—will provide shade in the Arquitecto Miguel López square. Various festival activities will take place here, including its inauguration on October 23 at 6 p.m.

This piece of ephemeral architecture has the peculiarity that, once TAC! 2025 concludes, it will disappear forever, remaining only in the memory of those who visit or photograph this installation.

'Espartal' is the architectural proposal by ELE Arkitektura and GA Estudio, along with architects Florencia Galecio and Juan Gubbins—with the collaboration of Xaviera Gleixner—that has won the Urban Architecture Festival TAC! 2025. The project reclaims the value of esparto, a traditional Mediterranean material now almost forgotten, transforming it into a contemporary element capable of generating thermal comfort and a unique atmosphere through light.

The pavilion proposes a 'suspended sky' of esparto over the Arquitecto Miguel López Square, in front of Casa Mediterráneo. Its structure filters sunlight and creates a dense shadow that modifies the microclimate of the space, offering refuge during the hottest hours. The proposal also seeks to reconnect with the agricultural and artisanal landscape of the surroundings, recover local material culture, and promote architecture more aware of the material cycle.

The jury—chaired by Iñaqui Carnicero, Secretary General of Urban Agenda, Housing, and Architecture—has highlighted the project's contextual character, its integration with the urban and social environment, and its commitment to sustainability, recycling, and local materials. Each winning team of the competition will receive a grant of 15,000 euros, in addition to a construction budget of 90,000 euros for their pavilions.

The Urban Architecture Festival TAC! 2025 will transform Casa Mediterráneo into a space for meeting and experimentation for a month. Organized by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda and the Arquia Foundation, in collaboration with the host cities, the event promotes the talent of young architects under 45 through the creation of ephemeral pavilions that will host cultural and recreational activities open to the public.

Alongside 'Espartal', the festival includes the De Roca Madre pavilion, which will be installed in November in the Plaza Stagno of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. This second proposal combines local volcanic stone with recycled plastics, inviting reflection on the relationship between human action, matter, and ecology.

With this initiative, Casa Mediterráneo reinforces its role as a platform for cultural and creative dialogue, placing Alicante at the center of the conversation about the future of architecture, sustainability, and urban life in the Mediterranean. In the coming weeks, the city will become an open laboratory of innovation, where tradition and avant-garde intertwine under the shade of esparto.