New Towns under the Franco Regime

The National Institute of Colonization: Origins, Background and Structure

The National Institute of Colonization was created in 1939 to replace the Agrarian Reform Institute (IRA), created by the Republic, with the aim of improving the economic and social situation of Spanish agriculture, a problem that had been ongoing since the 19th century. Between its creation and its absorption, in 1971, by the Institute for Agrarian Reform and Development (IRYDA), the INC built almost 300 towns throughout the national territory, made possible by a large structure of regional offices and personnel. The Architecture Service was directed by José Tamés Alarcón and under his leadership some 80 architects, 30 of whom were civil servants, carried out projects for the INC: José Luis Fernández del Amo, Alejandro de la Sota, José Antonio Corrales and Carlos Arniches were just some of the experts involved.

Territorial Implementation and Urban Planning

The development of the INC’s colonization policy was supported by a series of planning instruments that were implemented prior to the construction of the towns, whose objective was to settle farmers on agricultural land. The territorial implementation, linked to the availability of land declared to be surplus and therefore susceptible to being expropriated, was also determined by multiple factors such as the agricultural, topographical and communication characteristics of the territory. All things considered, the design of entire new towns was a challenge for the architects of the INC, and although they enjoyed great freedom in their design work, the Institute developed a series of guidelines and formal criteria to prevent monotony. These guidelines affected the layouts of streets, breaking perspectives, the forms of public spaces, and attention to detail, among other things.

The Functional Programme: Public Buildings

To ensure the settlers would have access to adequate services and enjoy quality of life in all aspects ─ economic, religious, educational, social, healthcare, etc. ─  the urban program was related to the number of inhabitants expected for each town (depending on the available land). It included a church, an administrative building, artisans’ workshops, schools, a civic centre, a trade union headquarters, rural housing, a cemetery, etc.

Housing

The dwellings, the main purpose of these towns, were mostly built with three bedrooms, although some were designed with two, four and, exceptionally, five. The domestic program was very basic: the living room functioned as a distributor and also incorporated the kitchen, and there were no bathrooms. Depending on whether the housing was for settlers ─ with their own land ─ or agricultural workers ─ who worked on other people’s farms, the dwellings would be associated with agricultural constructions. The housing program evolved over time and incorporated a series of improvements, such as independent kitchens and private bathrooms. New towns were an important field of experimentation for architects and the issue of minimal housing was no exception.

Churches and Art

The church was the most representative building in these towns, due to its importance in community social life, and an evolution can be seen in the architecture of new town churches over time. The bell tower became an urban landmark and a point of reference in the landscape. Inside the churches, largely due to the work of José Luis Fernández del Amo, abstract works of art incorporated, with the participation of some 60 artists of renown, including José Luis Sánchez and Antonio Hernández Carpe, among others.

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