University Campus in the Heart of Valencia
The Universidad Europea has promoted the creation of a new urban campus in an attractive location bordering the historic center and the old Turia Riverbed.
The team of professionals from KALAM, in a temporary joint venture with Vialterra, has carried out this ambitious large-scale project, meeting a tight deadline to align with the academic calendar and the owner’s needs.
The former San Juan Bautista Asylum, built between 1868 and 1874, had already been repurposed for tertiary education use. With this proposal, the Universidad Europea sought to rehabilitate the building, adapting it to the technology, versatility, flexible spaces, and equipment required by its educational model.
The intervention has been carried out across more than 11,000 m2, including the existing building, a new lecture hall extension built in dialogue with the historic structure, and the landscaping of the site.
The project and construction management were led by Ramón Esteve Estudio, and it stands out for repurposing a building whose architecture adapts well to its new use. The courtyards provide openness, while historic elements such as the Nolla tiles on the floors and wainscoting add value and character. The site is also highly attractive due to its proximity to the historic center and its connection with the former Turia Riverbed.
The restoration of historic elements, such as the Nolla tiles found in many of the floors, cloisters, and interior spaces, is particularly noteworthy. To achieve this, missing or damaged sections were restored using traditional techniques, medium-sized areas were recreated with pictorial methods, and neutral-colored painted surfaces were used in the larger areas. The cast iron columns and railings in the cloisters were also treated, restoring the beauty of these places, where the historic vegetation has been preserved. In Valencia’s mild climate, these areas will encourage gathering and interaction among the academic community.
The comprehensive rehabilitation of the former asylum included work on the wooden structure, with the execution of structural reinforcements on beam ends and floor slabs, the restoration of all exterior facades and those facing the cloisters, as well as the rehabilitation of the roofs with the addition of new insulation and the reuse of the existing tiles. The renewal of the building’s systems had to be adapted to the architecture, utilizing spaces such as the attic, among other solutions, to ensure compatibility between the building’s heritage value and modern needs.
The former church, now deconsecrated and repurposed as a library, has undergone interior surface restoration, including the recovery of some of the vault canvases, along with the installation of lighting and systems compatible with both its new use and its historical nature. In addition to classrooms, the historic building also houses offices for tutoring, a boardroom, administrative offices, graduation hall, and a cafeteria, among other uses.
In the interior area of the site is the new extension building, which increases the capacity for classrooms and teaching spaces on campus. Built within a very tight schedule, the building opened as planned, months before the completion of the full intervention, with construction planning and logistics adapted to allow the use of this part of the campus.
Overall, the Turia Campus has become an attractive educational environment, where students can enjoy the character and architecture of the historic building, the integration of new technologies and spaces, outdoor areas equipped to foster community life, and a central location connected to many of the city’s cultural and sports facilities.
