Saint Elena城堡改建工程，西班牙 / Pedro Salmerón Escobar

Photography by Javier Callejas

Saint Elena城堡，俗称摩尔之席，是建于14世纪并融入到格拉纳达堡垒体系的城堡。如同Dar al-Arusa和Alijares宫殿那样，摩尔之席也与阿罕布拉和拉里弗相望。城堡坐落在Cerro del Sol北坡，主要作为阿罕布拉和拉里弗的御用水渠瞭望点。南侧分布层层平台，楼梯从北侧蜿蜒而上。

Saint Elena’s Castle, commonly known as the Chair of the Moor, is a 14th-century construction integrated into the fortress system of Granada. Like the Dar al-Arusa and Alijares palaces, it was connected to the Alhambra and Generalife.

The Castle, located on the northern slopes of the Cerro del Sol, was used mainly as a lookout point over the Royal Water Channel, the water source of the Alhambra and Generalife. The central section is formed by a tower, built on a platform which was reached from the South, while a stairway provided access to the tower on the North side.

该城堡多年来历经多次修整，在1810-1812西班牙独立战争期间被用于军事目的，然后遭遇长久的废弃，直到上个世纪初（1929年）改建成休闲区，设置了瞭望点（1942年）和餐厅（1966年），在平台顶端加建了一个后来无人使用的塔；接下来1997〜1998年对过去的改建进行了拆卸，将城堡用于考古。最终直到2008年，城堡作为公共场所的定位被明确，接受了以强调历史文化遗产为目的的改建。

The building was the subject of a series of interventions throughout the years was subjected to a series of interventions, the major ones being undertaken for military purposes after the conquest of the city by the Catholic Monarchs and during the Spanish War of Independence, in 1810-1812. After being blown up by retreating Napoleonic troops, it was abandoned for a long period, until the first interventions were carried out in the early 20th century.

The first conservation works were carried out in 1929 by Leopoldo Torres Balbás, although the first major 20th-century intervention was performed by Francisco Prieto Moreno. The objective was to transform the building into a recreational area and to improve access to the building. The idea of creating a lookout point (1942) and a restaurant (1966) justifies its reconstruction. At this time, a large central tower was built but, paradoxically, it was never used. Years later, some of the newly built masonry walls collapsed.

From 1997 to 1998 changes were made to the guiding principles behind the site intervention works. Research concentrated on archaeological sampling and on cleaning tasks, monitoring and consulting, in addition to the demolition of the existing structures from the sixties.

In 2008 the Chair of the Moor restoration project was undertaken with the purpose of opening the site to the public. The idea behind was to find a balance with the history of the building by consolidating it properly and presenting it without adulterations. To meet this goal, the tower was partially reconstructed from its remains, which showcased its condition as an unfinished work and heightened its character as a strategic lookout point, and the long-standing remains of the original building were highlighted as cultural heritage assets.