Cañada Real is a non-ordinary linear site outside of Madrid, occupied by low-income inhabitants. Colourful tiles and patterns, stuck-on statues, fences and barriers made out of garbage and re-used materials is dominantly structuring the exterior envelope of the strip and constantly modifies the character of the middle pathway.

As an observer, one not only communicates with the space itself, but also with its visual aspects. There are various vectors based on which a space can be perceived. With the filter of ornamentation as my individual topic, I investigated this strip. Reusing the materials and the order of juxtaposition of different elements creates an ornamental affect and communicates with the viewer. However, this exterior skin is a bridge that connects to interior and gives the message to the outsider about the spaces and inhabitants behind the walls and fences.

I didn’t have any specific tool for mapping from the beginning, but I took a lot of photographs, of anything I would consider ornamental through the Cañada strip. I was mostly interested in uncommon or accidental use of materials in the walls, fences, power poles, and barriers. Ornamentation is capable of creating uncommon feelings and impressions due to composing common elements. The combination of ordinary elements of a building such as walls and floor and blocks can be read as an ornament only because of an uncommon combination; ornament is neutral in its language but it is playful in its form.

Going through all the photographs, I selected few. These fragments of the Cañada Real strip, were explored and detached from their context and became scale-less to determine their spatial qualities, and their ornamental characteristics. The images were then translated into physical models based on these interpretations.

Below are the series of study models out of my analyses.