In the first point there are some evident performances, as, the palaces of Benicarló, of the Scala, of Belveder (Museum of the City), etc; the convent of the camils parents, the House of the “Point of Hook” (street of the almoina, 4), etc; and the pedestrian of several streets, some of doubtful efficiency. In the second point, for the time being, we continue in the absolute emptiness, that is, the revitalization has not happened of to wash it the face in some façade, continuing the same state of ruin and hygienic degradation where the population density continues going down, less clear-cut in the city, but more habitable emigrating towards zones. This point deserves a deeper treatment to make in another moment.

In the redesign as a historical center, the only one building of new plant of powerful character is the IVAM (Valencian Institute of Modern Art). This institution, promoted by the previous general director of the Ministry of education and Culture, Tomàs Llorens and Serra, he wants to make the role of catalyst of the plastic movement while of element of recreation. Placed in the crossroads of the streets of Guillem de Castro and The Jordanian, it occupies a place on the hinge of the ancient helmet with the neighbourhood of Extramurs; a place of great difficulty for the settlement of one building of the dimensions of this in a site in a trapezoidal way. There have been two projects, the first carried out by the architects E.Giménez, St. Salvadores, J. Múrcia and X. Sanchis; the second and definite, for Carles Salvadores.

It is treated of an architecture that we can frame in the current of the Italian root neo-rationalism, but that it takes elements of other trends. There had a deep worry in order to give the building in the city of a soft way, without stridency nor prepotency, which quite difficult due to the dimensions was (87 x 45 x 17 meters approximately) and to the urban difference scale of both streets. About a podium is settle a millstone prism of six sides perfectly made clear, that coated with stone of “marés” (sandstone) of Sant Vicenç dels Horts that dominates the platform of access and that it extend in all the ground floor; the coated box-container with placated of Vinaixa stone. The pavements of the other floors are from limestone Capri, this decided more for budgetary imperatives that for desire for the architect.

The façades shape a perimeter overwhelmingly compact giving place to a clear volumetric and, even, platonian; where the cloth of wall is just cut in zones a lot located like the gallery of sculptures and, acquisitively, in the entry where the lock of wall breaks the outside piercing, from top to bottom, in the box, while establishing a space of covered filter for above with a slab made floating. The other openings are a kind of strips with trace of fénêtre in longueur in cafe and scales in more of ones bull's portholes. The decorative austerity makes to prevail the wall above any distraction, of minor tone, exception made subtle of a recess that acts as water drip (or obscure) among the spinning of Vinaixa superimposed to the same time as of remark of dominant the horizontality. We observe about the maps a clear ordering through two axes parallel to Guillem de Castro that the space make server that they tie and they chain the served spaces that they will be repeating along the main floors itself where it turns up one of the constants (invariants) of our architecture: THE UNIT OF SPACE.

The architect basing himself in the element room –as a primary element of conformation of the space-, he chains a room behind of another until achieves the uniqueness of the set that starts and it finishes in the hall of being marked polidirectionality and plastic dramatic character. There is also an inclination in the inclusion of spaces of double and triple “lecorbusierans” height of aftertaste and remembradors of “the space of the smoke” Saxon.

A structure clear and with meshes, about the plan, where the supports are stuffed in the thick walls, feature of some rooms where they manifest themselves with the redound section and of happy execution. To remark that the slab armed with the hall overflows, in overhang, also owes (10) meters, possessing the inverting beams, it is, in the upper part of her.

We are in front of a building of classical vocation but anti-classical of introduction. Classic in their conception and ordering, far from the merchants of columns and post-modern frontons, more attentive to the marketing than of thought the work and well made. And anti classic with respect to that if classical architecture is implanted of hostile way and despising the environment, with prepotency, here it is inserted in the context of the city even how hiding on moving back of the line of façade of the street creating a kind of post, contrarily to how, traditionally, they cram themselves in the churches. This pseudopost will be framed in a row of luxuriant bananas. There is a total respect in order to the neighbouring housings where the interior courtyards that give to the museum are not blinded, but the wall of fence is soaked, allowing at least the visual communication. It is evident a study for such of obtaining harmonious agreements of the museum with the bordering cornices. Highlighting on the other hand the delicacy of the details, especially the ones placated and in the industrial resolution of the finishes.

Published on the day 13 of october of 1988 in the supplement of design, architecture, energy and environment DIAREMA of LEVANTE-EMV.