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Totalan is a small, 12th-century village perched
above the city of Malaga, Spain, overlooking the Mediterranean
Sea. The park of Totalan is located at the urban edge of the
village, standing above the new Plaza Antonio Molina. The
park is a fundamental part of the urban fabric which, over the
centuries, has suffered profound transformations that have
distorted its original layout. Its most recent transformation was
the beautification project undertaken in 2009 by the villagers
themselves to stop erosion of the park with a massive planting
of native and exotic shrubs and trees on its steep slope. Due
to its difficult access, lack of shade, steep topography, and the
scarcity of resting places, the park has very little use.
The new design proposal aims to convert it into a meeting place
were villagers can seek refuge from the heat of summer and
warmth from the sun in the cold winter months. It will be a place
where time stops, and from where you can appreciate the last rays
of the sun that heat and illuminate the intense Mediterranean Sea.
Inspired by the Andalusian gardens of the Alhambra, the new
linear park will be accessible and will be planted with aromatic
plants impregnated with deep culinary and floral fragrances.
Falling water is heard as background music to the wonderful
views that extend over the sea as far as Africa.
The steep slopes will be regraded into accessible terraces, and
in the Moorish tradition, the 10,000 linear meters (6.2 miles) of
park will gradually ascend to the summit, offering places of rest
during the climb up the hill. The park will be built in stages with
recycled materials harvested locally, and existing native vege-
tation will be transplanted and re-used. The new Andalusian
Park will be a place for everyone and serve as a model for the
Pueblos Blancos or White Villages of Andalucía to follow.
—Margarita Blanco, ASLA, LEED AP, Director of
Arquitectonica Geo, Miami, Florida
The existing slope condition in Totalan park in Malaga, Spain. Photo by Sven Roettger
Panoramic of hillside in Totalan, Spain that landscape architect Margarita Blanco is re-envisioning. Photo by Sven Roettger
