From the top of the Gibralfaro Castle we spotted Pier One of the Port of Malaga, an area that has become since its opening in 2011, a whole experience of shopping, dining and recreation in front of the sea.
Muelle Uno is an open shopping center that offers the opportunity to discover and enjoy unsurpassed views of the Port of Malaga. It has numerous bars and restaurants, as well as stores and boutiques. Cultural events and concerts for all ages are presented in this space. The craft market is very good and you can get everything.
It is precisely the Muelle Uno, the place chosen to build the Centre Pompidou Malaga, headquarters of the National Center of Art and Culture Georges Pompidou of France. And it is the first headquarters of the Centre Pompidou Paris abroad, inaugurated on March 28, 2015, in this point Malaga.
According to the 2013 agreement, the Centre Pompidou Malaga would have a five-year renewable permanence. In addition, that the works from the collection of the Parisian Beaubourg would be exhibited in semi-permanent exhibitions of two and a half years, as well as in temporary exhibitions of shorter duration. However, in February 2018, in view of the success of public visits, both parties renewed the agreement for five more years, so it is currently in force until 2025. The richness of its collection proposes to live a great experience to all types of public.
The center’s container is a building called The Cube, a space with an area of approximately 7,600 square meters. From Pier One, you can appreciate its top floor, which is the roof of the building, in the shape of a cube made of steel and glass squares with primary colors, which reminds us a lot of the Rubik’s Cube.
And we arrived at the “Palmeral de las Sorpresas”, a promenade for port-citizen use, which has a total of 408 palm trees, hundreds of shrubs and other plants, interspersed with fountains of various designs. It was inaugurated in 2011.
Overlooking the Mediterranean, what most catches our attention is the pergola that runs along this promenade welcoming travelers arriving by sea and offering shade to those who stroll along it. The structure runs along a 400-meter long stretch, built with beams and the variable geometry of the concrete slats achieve a great effect of fluidity. On closer inspection, the pergola looks like the backbone of a fish. And no wonder, since it is located in a seaport.
We finish this tour by the Muelle Uno of Malaga arriving until the Farola. It was inaugurated in the year 1817 with the purpose of guiding the sailors of the Costa del Sol. It stands out for being one of the two Spanish lighthouses that has a female name. La Farola is an integral part and witness of the transformation of a coast in constant movement.
And as the Port of Malaga has it all, on our stroll along Pier One we even find a church. Built in 1732, it is known as the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, a small temple of prayer that for centuries played an important role in Marian worship among the seafarers. The built with sandstone ashlars it was moved stone by stone from its previous location within the same port, and the rectangular pool was added in front of its facade, adding a very nice landscape element to the whole. Although it is currently closed and no religious ceremonies are held, the chapel is in an acceptable state of preservation.
La Farola is considered a survivor since over the years it has undergone several alterations due to damages caused by different reasons. From an earthquake in 1884, then the Civil War which meant from its general blackout in 1936 to the order to paint it in earth color so that it would blend in with the rest of the landscape. And in 1939, a bombing forced to rebuild the lighthouse from scratch.
Whether to stroll, visit exhibitions, go shopping or simply buy an ice cream and sit and contemplate the port, Pier One of the Port of Malaga, offers everything for all tastes.
Resources:
- https://www.muelleuno.com/centro-comercial-malaga/
- https://arquitecturaviva.com/obras/el-palmeral-de-las-sorpresas
- https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centro_Pompidou_de_M%C3%A1laga
- https://www.elmundo.es/viajes/espana/2020/03/07/5e58d93a21efa0be3a8b45b4.html
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