Deadline Registration : 21 May 2008
First prize : 88,000 Euros



Mondragon Town Council (Basque Country, SPAIN), with the collaboration of a group of citizens, has organised a Competition for proposals for the future design of the “San Josepe” quarry area and its surrounding environment in Mondragon. (I am a member of the group of citizens that it is collaboration with the Mondragon Town Council for the purpose of organizing the Competition).

The San Josepe Quarry, located in the Municipality of Mondragon (Arrasate in Basque language) in an area very close to the urban network, has been used for stone mining for over 50 years. As a result, the interior space of the quarry occupies a volume of 1,200,000 m³ or more (one million two hundred thousand cubic metres).

The object of this Competition is the presentation of an Idea for the San Josepe Quarry space to provide the Town Council with ideas that may serve as a basis for future implementation of urban development and building on this space.



The competition is based on a Call for Proposals, with the intervention of a Jury, and is of an open nature. The prizes awarded will be cash prizes. The winner of the competition will receive the first prize, consisting of the amount of 88,000 Euros.

The Competition itself will not imply the commissioning of the Technical projects for implementing the competition winner’s idea, without prejudice to the fact that if the Town Council deems it appropriate, it may subsequently enter into the relevant contract or contracts with the aforementioned winner for drawing up the corresponding technical documents, in observance of the administrative contracting legislation in force.



The idea is to gather Proposals for the creation of urban development and architectural interventions in the San Josepe Quarry space, in accordance with the objectives set out below:

§ Residential: in addition to traditional residential use, the participants could study the possibility of generating new types of housing for non-standard family structures or for other groups. In fact, with very few exceptions, the housing offer in Arrasate is geared towards the traditional family. The offer of a different type of housing for the floating working population, students, young people or other groups could be studied.

§ Business activities: these could be connected to the tertiary sector in general, e.g. services, local shops for residential use, etc., or the development of a new type of offices responding to the following needs could be studied: a centre for tertiary activities, services and professional offices (an “office village”), or a business incubation area. This would not be an obstacle to the contemplation of other compatible industrial uses.

§ Recreational and social areas: Arrasate’s climate, while it is not extreme, is characterised as an Atlantic-type climate, with frequent rain. The proposal could therefore contemplate the inclusion of covered spaces for recreational and social areas, promenades, games areas, etc. Part of these areas could be included in the indoor and outdoor emblematic spaces (these concepts will be explained later on).

§ Public use: including uses for leisure (relating to nature, the surrounding area or the environment), free time activities and sports.

§ Strategic land reserves: for development in the medium and long term.

San Josepe Quarry Competition Basque Country - image/text from Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa 10 May 2008



Mondragón Corporación Cooperativa (MCC).
Teléfono: 605.777.491



Further information and materials, as well as the full details regarding the Competition Regulations are already published on the Mondragon Town Council website (URL http://www.arrasate-mondragon.org/Udala/Egituraketa/Hirigintza/Sanjosepe/Sanjosepeinglesez).

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Comments / photos for the San Josepe Quarry Architecture page welcome:
info@e-architect.co.uk

San Josepe : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt