Public space built as living heritage

Abstract

The construction of public space is always done in critical areas of cities. The urban as heritage is the best summary of a history and of some uses and functions that belong to a community and which they represent and symbolize better than any other form. Whenever space or territory is humanized, that is, it is occupied and lived by humans, it becomes Cultural Heritage. Therefore, public space has the substantial condition of being Cultural Heritage. In this text, through eight examples designed (and almost all built) in urban plots of Galician cities, the aim is to demonstrate the importance of public spaces as voids between buildings characterized by their collective use. The selected examples are: Campo de la Leña Square in A Coruña, the Vice-Rectorate of the University of Santiago de Compostela in the vicinity of the Cathedral of Lugo, five squares (crossroads) in the Inferniño Neighborhood in Ferrol, the Red Square in Santiago de Compostela, the public space of the Cross of the Holy Trinity in Baiona, the Hospital Square in As Pontes de García Rodríguez, the Luis Seoane Square in A Coruña, and the surroundings of the church of San Martiño de Mondoñedo in the town of Foz.