Guallart's Sociópolis and wooden islands
The astonishing Spanish architect Vicente Guallart has his fingers in many pies around Valencia. The biggest is Sociópolis, a "model neighbourhood of accessible housing" …"that responds to the needs of the new types of family unit (young people, the elderly, single-parent families, etc.), both owner-occupied and rented, in a quality urban setting in which the landscaped areas, social amenities and good architecture generate urban excellence."
Then there are his wooden islands beside the sea at Vinaroz. The beaches are a bit rocky for recreation so Guallart came up with the idea of adding hexagonal wooden "islands" for the comfort of sunbathers. And so, Valencia gains one more topography along its 500km of coastline.
