El Batán

This proposal seeks to reimagine the El Batan estate as a vibrant community park, shifting away from the outdated concept of building extensive large-scale convention facilities for fairs and expositions. Our strategy aims to revitalise El Batan into an ever-evolving gathering space that can accommodate leisure activities and temporary stalls for various public activities.

At the core of our proposal are the principles of fragmentation and agglomeration — partitioning the park into smaller, manageable sections while cohesively merging its diverse components along a central spine. This approach, designed with the future in mind, ensures flexibility of use and allows the park to adapt to changing needs of the community.

The development strategy is temporal and incremental, and it cohesively integrates various programmatic elements such as food stalls, fair booths, exhibition pop-ups, artisan markets, and interactive displays within the extents of the park. Such an approach considers the site at both macro and micro levels, maintaining an overall continuity across the park while allowing each element to express its unique identity.

The periphery and core, each with its distinct atmosphere and functionality, will divide the park into two sections. The perimeter will serve as a primary circulation loop, with a fairground adjacent to the river stream and outdoor recreational amenities based on the municipal sports facilities. The circuits will also feature parking lots, outdoor sports fields, and children’s play areas, catering to a wide range of community interests.

A naturally contoured amphitheatre will be the park’s focal point, creating a buffer between the parking lot and green spaces. Open, modular systems connected to autonomous, lightweight tent-like structures will support the various fair-related activities. Additionally, the river stream will be an extensive landscape feature, extending the promenade of Paseo Street and enhancing the access to the park for the surrounding neighbourhoods.

We are committed to ensuring that every member of the neighbouring community feels welcome and catered to by this new public space. The proposal therefore envisions a dynamic, adaptable, and inclusive community park that is being continuously transformed – creating a mutable space that is constantly in the making.


Feria San Fernando de Henares (El Batán) | date : 2024 | location : San Fernando de Henares, Spain | team : Madhusudhan Chalasani, Jesús Garrido, Bruno Sirabo, Vamsi Krishna, Rohith Therala, Supriya Ambavani, Tanvi Jain | client : City council of San Fernando de Henares | status : competition