Agrarian voids as dynamic spaces in the contemporary city. The historic orchards of Nerja, Malaga

Abstract

Agriculture and architecture are realities in continuous dialogue in many territories where the productive landscape is an inherent part of the built environment, especially those on a smaller scale with an immediate presence in the city, such as the orchards, which has been attacked by urban development, causing a fracture detrimental to historical logic. Through a detailed typological study of the orchards of Nerja, Malaga, this research places these lands at the center of the narrative, providing a historical analysis that addresses the uniqueness and idiosyncrasy of the orchard as a holistic space, both agricultural and urban. Using a methodology that combines the study of the historical dimension and the unprecedented contemporary drawing of the orchard in its complexity, the potential and urgency of these agrarian voids in the contemporary city is confirmed. Forgotten and marginal redoubts, whose informal presence currently represents the dynamic, spontaneity and identity-driven escapism of Nerja and its inhabitants.