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In the Renaissance, the citadel was a fortified enclosure or stronghold within a city which served as a last refuge for the population in times of war. In essence, it acted in the manner of a small city within the city; able to shelter and satisfy the needs of citizens in case of an invasion.

The modern city reflects, through rapid growth, the separation of functions and the creation of suburbs. Both the segregation of uses and suburban development are sources of physical decay and desintegration of the city. At a time when the vitality of the city is threatened by the sprawl of suburban developments on the periphery, Ciudadela emerges at the center of the city as a refreshing alternative. The project uses “the citadel” as a metaphor – The city within the city – in the creation of a new center for Santurce. This notion is part of the concept in which a city is livable and healthy to live in, to the extent that it is subdivided into autonomous units (quartier, quarters, neighborhoods or small towns) able to integrate all the daily functions of urban life.

Ciudadela is a mixed-use development that integrates, along a varied structure plot, structures of various types and heights with over 500 apartments, 150,000sf of commercial space and about 2,000 parking spaces, all in accordance with the design guidelines established in the Master Plan for the center of Santurce.

– ENTORNO 16 | Entre Sueños y Burbujas by CAAPPR