THE CORTAZAR URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Leaving behind the Old Town, and before moving on to the first urban development of San Sebastián beyond the city walls, it is important to explain how an urban experiment as the Cortázar development was brought about.

Aerial view of the Cortázar urban development.

Up to the middle of the 19th century, San Sebastián had been an enclosed, fortified military town. In 1854 it was named the capital of Gipuzkoa, thereby becoming the province's administrative and political centre, and giving rise to the demolition of the walls, according to the repeated express wishes of the people of San Sebastián.

On July 30th, 1862, the Town Council announced an open competition for the planning of the future development; at the end of the same year, the architect Antonio Cortázar won first prize with his plan for the new city, which subsequently underwent some changes.

The plan mainly satisfied the requirements of the people, and perfectly defined the social strata of the time.

The urban description is very concise:

"well-off people right in town, on solid ground, and in touch with the modern city. Summer visitors overlooking the bay, the beach and the sands assigned for bathing; the buildings in that area will shelter the buildings in the city centre from north-westly winds. Craftsmen and working people, both in the lower part of San Martín district, in the southern part of the new city; sheltered from the winds but not enjoying such good views".

In addition to the judicious town planning, the development benefited from the building of a railway station, an important decision, since San Sebastián is a link in the communications axis, which runs from Paris to Madrid, and links Europe with Spain.

The plan encompassed the area between the Boulevard and the Plaza del Centenario, consisting of straight line streets arranged in an octagonal order, arising from the extension of the Calle Mayor. The plan put forward was for a commercial and mercantile area, removing industry to the outer parts of the city.

In 1864 building started on the new city, and the first step being the construction of an embarkment for the river from San Telmo to Santa Catalina Bridge, the latter marking the limits of the first city enlargement.

The second phase, which goes from the Avenida to the Plaza del Centenario, is called the Amara development.

While the style of building in the first development was based on the dominant classical model of the time, inherited from the rebuilding of the Old Town, the second development, that is Amara, made way for a more modern and eclectic type of building.

To the 1882 developments was added the east-side development, which had not been included in the Cortázar Plan.

Land was claimed from the sea, once a definite channelling wall for the River Urumea in its last section was built. Private developers were in charge of developing this last space on the east-side of the Old Town, unlike the previous enlargements which were built mostly on public land.

Concerning the first development, which is delimited by the Boulevard, the "Avenida de la Libertad", the Alderdi-Eder Gardens, together with the "Paseo de La Concha", and the "Paseo de la República Argentina", it is worth mentioning the urban space created by the "Plaza de Gipuzkoa", the result of having left empty one block in the development. It is notable for its great simplicity and economy of style, very much in line with the majority of Basque main squares, and inspired by the model of the Plaza de la Constitución. The materials are clearly defined and arranged; there are bases of ashlar stone with arcade, and the faáades and corners are outlined with stone.

In the centre, there is a series of organically arranged gardens with a pond in the middle, and a large number of tree species decorating the whole. It may be said, that this landscaping imitates the English park desing, as a result of the British influence in San Sebastián, which originally came via Bilbao.

The County Council Hall, built by the architect Goikoa, and opened in 1885, is the most important and representative building in this urban space.

It has a rectangular ground plan with a projecting central part; in the spacious lobby there is a imperial staircase leading to the first floor or reception area, which opens onto the great hall of the building.

Though it is classical in style, an eclectic influence, mainly in its ornamentation, can be seen.

Like the rest of the square, the main façade has an arcade on its base. In the main part, on the first floor, there are Corinthian columns of gigantic proportions, whose entablatures bear busts of Urdaneta, Elcano, Oquendo, Lezo and Legazpi, all of them illustrious sons of Gipuzkoa; the busts provide a sense of rhythm, which is underlined by the small, inset pilasters which separate them. At the very top there is a big coat-of-arms of Gipuzkoa, flanked by a supporter on either side.

In this first city enlargement, the urban configuration on the left bank of the River Urumea is also very important; it is formed by the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, the María Cristina Hotel, and the Plaza de Oquendo, together with the surrounding gardens and the promenade along the river.

María Cristina Hotel and Victoria Eugenia Theatre reflected in the River Urumea.

The Victoria Eugenia Theatre was planned together with the María Cristina Hotel. Designed in 1909 by M. Charles Meurres, a French architect, the theatre was built by Francisco Urcola, an architect from San Sebastián.

Its main façade directly overlooks the River Urumea, and is divided into three main parts, the middle one being the way in. There are three wide doors above which there are large windows protected by balustrades.

This tripartite structure is divided by groups of paired columns; at the very top there is a coat-of-arms of San Sebastián.

The Renaissance style of the façade is very closely linked to the Plateresque style.

Carved medallions of the Count of Peñaflorida, Arriaga, Eslava, Gayarre, Gaztambide and Santesteban form the relief.

The second faáade of the building opens onto the "Calle Reina Regente", and also has a side entrance to the theatre protected by a glass canopy, built over a metallic frame.

Like other buildings in the area, this one is built in sandstone from the Igeldo quarry.

As already mentioned, the María Cristina Hotel and the Victoria Eugenia Theatre form a whole. The two buildings are regarded as monuments of the eclectic movement of the beginning of the 20th century, although each one has its own personality; the hotel belongs to an international eclectic movement distinguished by its classicism and austere decoration.

Both the hotel and the theatre are the initiative of a group of people from San Sebastián who had vision, and so established the "Sociedad de Fomento", whose basic aim was to build these two edifices, to provide San Sebastián with services that mached those found in the best European cities.

Fleeing from the First World War, many illustrious people, including Russian princes, Dutch jeweller, spies such as Bolo Pachá, or the already mentioned Marageretha Geertruida, better known as Mata-Hari, stayed at the María Cristina Hotel.

Traces of the Spanish Civil War can be seen on the façade, which still bear the holes made during a shooting against a group of falangists, who had barricaded themselves inside the hotel.

In this part of the city, which is characterized by its pleasant promenades along the river, squares, gardens and openspaces,we must refer to the three bridges: the Kursaal, the Santa Catalina, and the María Cristina, which link the city centre with the Gros district.

Kursaal or La Zurriola Bridge.

The Kursaal or La Zurriola Bridge is at the mouth of the River Urumea. It was first conceived by the engineer J. Eugenio Ribera in 1915 as a seried of arches, but its structure was changed in 1918, owing to the impact of the swell and the intensity of the tides against it.

Today it consists of four spaces spanning three middle supports and two sides piers; the structure is supported by straight spans of reinforced concrete in the form of lintels, instead of the original arches.

The final decoration was by Victor Arana, who introduced the wrought iron balustrade and the large obelisks, which bear the spherical lamps that are so characteristic of this bridge.

The bridge, with its unusual composition, owes more to modernism-expressionism based on decoration, than to the eclecticism of the first design.

The bridge was built on this site to link the end of the Old Town and the beginning of the Cortázar development with the end of the promenade in the Gros district, known as La Zurriola promenade, through the Boulevard.

The second bridge across the River Urumea, linking up with the old route A-l to France, is the Santa Catalina Bridge, and was in fact the first bridge to be built across the river in San Sebastián. It extends the Avenida de la Libertad to the beginning of the "Calle Miracruz".

Originally, there was a wooden bridge on the same site, which was repeatly destroyed, both in the wars and by the ravages of the sea. That is why Santa Catalina Bridge was the first permanent bridge to be built in the city.

Of neoclassical style, the bridge was built in mid 1872, and designed by A. Cortázar.

At first, it had five depressed arches, although only four of them can be seen today, due to the river's channelling on its right bank, and the many changes undergone. Its lateral walls and piers are built of light coloured stone from Mutriku, while the corbels and tympanum are of red limestone from Ereño. The third bridge is the María Cristina Bridge. Located at the beginning of the Amara development, it directly links the city centre with the railway station. Planned by the engineer Ribero and the architect Zapata, it was built in 1904, in only nine months, and thanks to a generous loan by "La Caja de Ahorros Municipal". It has a purely eclectic style, inspired by the Viennese Secession's postulates, and is distinguished by its monumental proportions.

The model followed for its construction was the Alexander III Bridge in Paris, with its four obelisks crowned with sculptures, marking the entrance at its four corners.

The structure was built using reinforced concrete, with lining and decoration in reddish imitation.

The bridge has three spaces, so there are two middle pilasters, which in the water look like the prows of boats. I There is a large seven-metre street lamp above each pilaster, and there are two smaller onbs on each span, to achieve the same lighting throughout the bridge.

Each obelisk has three polychrome coats-of-arms of Spain, Gipuzkoa and San Sebastián, which together with the polychrome ceramics of the arches, give the figures a colourful finishing touch.

La Concha Beach in winter.

La Concha promenade is another part of the enlarged San Sebastián, and Alderdi-Eder Gardens are located there. The gardens (their name means beautiful place) have an excellent view over the bay, and are a fitting threshold to the City Hall, the old casino.

They were landscaped by Pierre Ducasse, a French gardener, and were set out after removing the military operations camp located there around 1880.

At first, the place served as a setting for entertainment for the new tourism, and the circus, the puppet-theatre and even a cycle track was set up there. But a promenade was finally built there with its flowers and tamarinds, which are so characteristic of the city and the promenade.

The Buen Pastor Cathedral, the Post-Office and the Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Center belong to the highly formal urban space known as the "Plaza del Buen Pastor", which is also the most important part of the Amara development.

There are blocks of flats on three sides of the square, and the two aforementioned civil buildings occupy the fourth side.

Buen Pastor Cathedral.

The Cathedral occupies a prominent position in the square. Its main façade is opposite the Baroque front of Santa María, thus forming the axis, which gives rise to the Cortázar development on Calle Hernani and Calle Mayor.

It was built by the architect Manuel de Echave at the end of the 19th century. Its ground plan has three naves, a transept and a presbytery.

Built in sandstone ashlar work like almost all the big buildings from that time, it is of Neo-Gothic style, bearing eclectic influences, reminiscent of the works of Violet-le-Duc.

The square in which it is located was designed by Goikoa, the building showing a clear unity of composition in that they are all five-storey buildings; there is also a continuous arcade on the ground floor of the building, opposite the Cathedral's main façade. Nevertheless, the resulting mixture of Neo-Gothic buildings with others having more classical façades is not too strident.

The Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Center and the Post-Office are situated behind the cathedral, and each of them is worth individual comment.

The Post-Office is a large building of eclectic style with Neo-Renaissance decorations such as the ceramics and bosses on the base. The interior has undergone many changes, and today it has little architectural value. Built by the architect Aguirrebengoa in 1906, it was originally intended for use as Arts and Crafts School.

The Koldo Mitxelena Cultural Center (old Engineering School) was built by the architects Cortázar and Elizalde, and opened in 1900 as a High School.

Like the Post-Office, the building has a rectangular free-standing floor, and overlooks the "Plaza del Buen Pastor". It middle part stands out from the rest of the building, and the main entrance is located here. Six Doric columns on the ground floor, and another six lonic columns on the upper storey lend this part of the building strength and expressiveness.

Like the majority of the public buildings of the time, this one is built in sandstone masonry from quarries in Igeldo.

Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the "Plaza de Bilbao" is another place of interest in San Sebastián. It is a cir- cular space, linking the "Calle Prim" with the María Cristina Bridge, which leads to the railway station.

In the centre of the "Plaza de Bilbao", there is a circular fountain as a centre-piece to the square.

Outstanding building in Calle Prim.

The five-storey buildings around the square have double corners, and are of neoclassical style with eclectic touches, contributing to the overall sense of unity. The exterior is made of ashlar work, and the inner framework of wood.

The unity and moderation of the façades designed by Pedro de Aristegui have little to do with the layout, inside which, in fact, is a chaotic division of the buildings, rather than an ordely arrangement of the interior.

There are other public buildings of important architectural and historical value such as the Courthouse, located in Calle San Martín, and opened in 1916; it was designed by the architect José Gurruchaga. He describes the building in the following way:

"The Courthouse has to bear the marks of an adapted classical style, in the same way that Roman legislation has been adapted to our own customs, our civilization, and our means. That is why the guidelines about the bases, the pillars, the columns and the entablatures are classic. The window spaces opened in the intercolumnations are big and spacious, and allow plenty of daylight to pass through the window-panes; but even so, the view through stone mullions lends severity to the whole, and offsets the feeling of gaiety and spaciousness afforded by large openings in buildings".

"To create a mood befitting a building which houses the assizes, I believe it is most appropiate to use straight lines in all those elements which symbolize the Courts or provide strenth; the use of curved lines is not advisable. If they are used, they should be attenuated, and semicircular arches together with other elements suggesting movement should be banned. A straight line is severe and straightforward; law, severity and straightness are the features of justice in all its statements".

The Courthouse'layout is a rectangular free-standing ground plan, supported by a base, and topped by a large balustrade.

The main façade is crowned by a large portico with a decorated pediment and Tuscan columns of gigantic order, which shape the wide entrance of the building.