The project responds to two main objectives: positioning Lourizán as a benchmark in the forestry sector at national and European level; and opening the estate and its activities to the public and society in general. In this process, Fundación RIA has worked - in collaboration with the Regional Ministry of Rural Development, through its agencies AGACAL and XERA - on the design of a functional programme that places Lourizán and the forestry sector at the centre of innovation, development and the protection of the natural environment.
The name of Lourizán is indisputably linked to the history of forestry research and management in Spain, as well as to the figure of Eugenio Montero Ríos. In addition to housing material elements of great heritage interest – such as the Pazo itself, but also the crystal greenhouse, the botanical garden and the arboretum – it also has a great intangible cultural value. An example of this is the negotiations of the Spanish surrender in the Cuban War, in which Montero Ríos mediated from Lourizán.
The deteriorated condition of the manor house and the greenhouse, both assets of cultural interest, demand an immediate intervention. This fact is taken as an opportunity to renovate other parts of the estate and turn Lourizán into a meeting and dissemination place for the forestry sector, as well as a recreational and educational space accessible to the public.
With this in mind, the foundation's team carried out an analysis of the infrastructure, land use and current activities of the estate, taking the available information as a starting point and completing it with interviews with the staff of the complex and through working groups with the business sector and the administration. This analysis led to a diagnosis of needs and opportunities, which is used to draw up a strategic framework and define the activities that make up this strategy.
Finally, an architectural competition is designed according to the scope of the project, by developing comprehensive and targeted technical specifications. This competition will be launched before the end of the year, through a process that aims to promote a culture of design and encourage exemplary public procurement processes.