sant francesc boulevard

The new Sant Francesc Boulevard brings the vineyard landscape of the Penedès region into the heart of Vilafranca and improves the versatility of this central space, the setting for many important urban events.

The Sant Francesc Boulevard is the most important civic space in the center of the town. Due to its proportions, it feels more like a lounge than a boulevard. Over the years, it has been the stage for many significant events in the town (fairs, markets, concerts, etc.).

Our project completes and brings closure to an intervention that was traumatic for the town: the construction of an underground car park, which required the removal of all existing trees—trees that once provided shade and symbolized community identity. Symbology, centrality, memory, and functionality are complementary strategies used to help citizens reconnect with this key public space.

Symbology and centrality
We have evoked a fragment of the Penedès wine-producing landscape through an exercise in formal abstraction, aiming to reinforce Vilafranca’s role as both a regional showcase and the wine capital of the Penedès. The ground design also offers strong visual and expressive potential. Its uniqueness gives the space a renewed sense of centrality in the urban perception.

Memory and functionality
We have redeveloped a place deeply rooted in the collective imagination but recently altered in a traumatic way. The project seeks to harness this emotional legacy in a renewed manner. It reestablishes a sense of continuity, restoring part of the space’s lost memory. Trees are a key element in this process. The enhanced permeability and openness of the space now allow for maximum versatility and a wide range of uses.