A three-dimensional footprint to add to the golden age of Alicante during the Roman Empire

When antiquity and contemporary converge. This is the starting point of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the Miguel Hernández University and Adoras Atelier Architecture

They are looking for students and graduates to create a piece that will be located in the surroundings of the Tower of Hercules in La Vila Joiosa.

This funerary monument is one of the most important of Roman civilization in Spain. It was erected in the 2nd century AD, during the golden age of the Roman Empire in the province of Alicante, and at the intersection between two rich orographic elements: the Barranco de Hércules and the Torres River in the town.

This contest aims to add a new monument to the environment, integrating it into the design of the exclusive Allonbay Village Alba residential area - an urban regeneration project, located in Bahía del Torres, which has obtained the first environmental certificate in Spain in the Urbanism category awarded by Breeam - from the capital of Marina Baixa.

The initiative also seeks to promote young talent through the creation of this sculpture that will be produced using 3D concrete printing technology. According to them, collaboration between the institution and the studio «offers students the opportunity to explore new media and techniques of expression, combining art, technology, and architecture.»

For this, participants - with individual or collective creations - must submit their proposals in 'mockup' format in 3D. This will go through an expert jury who will evaluate them based on criteria of originality, adaptation to space, and feasibility. The multidisciplinary committee will be composed of specialists from Adoras Atelier Architecture, Sika, and Professors from the Faculty of Fine Arts at UMH.

The contest is also established in four phases. The submission of applications will remain open until April 30, 2025, after which three proposals will be preselected and printed on a small scale. With this, the jury will evaluate the proposals before holding a final event where the winning work will be announced.

The final challenge will be the production and assembly of the sculpture, whose prize will also include a sum of one thousand euros, as well as an internship at the architecture studio.