The Conference Centre unveils a new 1,400 square metre garden area
Emiliano García underlines the "sustainability and architectural integrity" of the new area, which replaces the original fountains.
The Valencia Conference Centre has unveiled a new garden area next to the building which replaces the fountains that were installed when the venue opened in 1998
The new urban garden area, created in coordination with the Valencia City Council’s Parks and Gardening Department and the Valencia Municipal Gardening and Landscaping School, which will be responsible for its upkeep, has been designed to be used by visitors.
According to the Tourism and Internationalisation Councillor and Chairman of the Valencia Conference Centre, Emiliano García, “this new sustainable garden area, which dovetails perfectly with the architecture of the building, represents a profound transformation of the outdoor area of the Conference Centre and greatly enriches the visitor experience, including the general public and the companies organising national and international events at the venue. By removing the fountains, we have eliminated the excess humidity caused by water seepage that was affecting the sides of the façade, and we have managed to optimise resources.”
The landscaped area consists of grass areas and Mediterranean species that are well suited to the city’s climate, such as myrtle, rosemary, lavender, sage and agapanthus. In addition, except for the lawn area, pine bark mulch has been used, the main objective of which is to retain moisture, thus reducing water consumption and preventing the proliferation of weeds. The design of the new garden area is based on the guidelines of Foster and Partners, the studio belonging to the Conference Centre’s designer, Norman Foster. It dovetails well with the aesthetics and architectural features of the building and follows the British architect’s recommendations with a selection of plant species that are easy to maintain and whose roots do not affect the structural integrity of the planters.
This new green space is a further contribution by the Conference Centre to Valencia’s strategy to position itself as an international sustainable tourism benchmark and to become European Green Capital in 2024. In recent years, sustainability has been a cornerstone of the conference centre’s strategy, based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and involves a general commitment to responsible consumption by the team, organizers, suppliers and event participants.
