The architecture studio Tabuenca & Leache Arquitectos will be responsible for developing Usetxe Plaza and its associated cultural facilities. Their design was the most valued proposal in the citizen consultation held in Elgoibar, under the name 'Txipi Txapa', securing 280 votes.
In the final vote, their design surpassed "Kutxa Bat Aukera Anitz", with 164 votes, and "Debabegira", with 160. "We are very satisfied with the outcome of the process. The citizens participated, the finalist teams produced high-quality work, and now we begin a new phase with a studio that has a recognized track record. Usetxe Plaza must become a better connected, more open, more useful, and more vibrant space for the neighborhood and for all of Elgoibar", stated the Elgoibar City Council upon announcing the winners.
Tabuenca & Leache Arquitectos possesses extensive experience in rehabilitation projects, public spaces, and cultural facilities. Notable among their works are the rehabilitation of the Condestable Palace in Pamplona, the transformation of the former Convent of the Salesas, and accessibility improvements in the historic center of Vitoria-Gasteiz, projects recognized with various architecture, urbanism, and rehabilitation awards.
Moving forward, the City Council will collaborate with the winning studio on the final project's drafting, specifying the technical, urbanistic, and functional aspects of the future development. "The intervention in Usetxe Plaza represents an opportunity to continue improving one of the most significant spaces in central Elgoibar. The project aims to recover and enhance this urban area, open the plaza towards the Deba River, organize existing parking, and create updated cultural facilities for the municipality's associations and cultural activities, continuing the historical use of the former Pedro Muguruza school premises".
