Preservation of Modern Architectural Heritage

The Case of the Parish Church of Our Lady of the Rosary in Torrejón de Ardoz, by Francisco Coello de Portugal

Abstract

Fray Francisco Coello de Portugal (1926–2013), a Spanish architect with seventeen buildings currently listed in the Docomomo register, designed in 1974 the church and parish center of Our Lady of the Rosary in Torrejón de Ardoz. It is a sober project of pyramidal form, resolved with great architectural skill. Almost forty years later, the building required renovation and expansion, which sparked an internal debate within the parish regarding whether it should be preserved or partially or entirely demolished. The decision was made in favor of its comprehensive conservation, improvement, and extension. This paper seeks to explore the values of this project and to analyze the strategies adopted in its renovation in order to raise awareness of the importance of this collective right: the preservation and enjoyment of heritage. It also examines the criteria that guided the interventions carried out in a project that chose to maintain and enhance the values of the original design.