This is what the obelisk that Marbella will erect in the heart of the Golden Mile will look like

José Carlos García

Marbella

"It is an architectural structure with a great symbolic charge that has been used throughout history by various civilizations. Its shape and presence convey deep values and meanings, making it ideal as a commemorative or monumental element." With these words, the architect and General Director of Public Works of the Marbella City Council, Amparo Corral, describes the significance of an obelisk in the project developed for the installation of "a singular element" in the heart of the Golden Mile. A structure that "represents the transcendence of time" due to its "verticality, solidity, and durability" and that will reach 40 meters in height at that location, 43 meters if the three-meter lightning rod crowning this structure is included. It will be built in reinforced concrete, clad with white Athena marble, a natural stone used outdoors for its resistance to water and humidity, and will feature a spiral staircase inside and an area at the vertex for maintenance tasks.

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• • Marbella progresses on its grand 'boulevard' and will crown it with a 40-meter obelisk

The obelisk, conceived as "a unique piece that pays homage to the city of Marbella, not only as a renowned international tourist destination but also as a location with a rich historical and cultural trajectory," will be erected in a roundabout built at the confluence of the N-340 and the Istán road (A-7176) as part of the comprehensive remodeling works of the urban stretch of this last route carried out by the City Council and the Andalusian Regional Government, which concluded just over four months ago. The roundabout will be conditioned to raise this obelisk, which forms part of "a global strategy for the transformation of the N-340 as it passes through Marbella, aimed at improving both mobility and the urban image of one of the main axes of the municipality."

The obelisk will be illuminated with LED projectors, will have a spiral staircase inside, and will feature luminous beaconing

This is the project of the Marbella 'boulevard', already executed between Marbella and Puente Romano, and which will now progress in both directions: to the east, with the stretch between Manuel Haro roundabout and the Arch of Marbella, and to the west between Puente Romano and the Swedish Forestry Center. The City Council has definitively put out to tender both actions, which total a length of 2,513 meters, and within the latter is the construction of this singular element. The tender budget is close to 3.86 million euros, of which 785,369.23 euros correspond to the obelisk, and the execution period for all the works is ten months.

Cross natural ventilation

In choosing the location for the obelisk, the conditions of the prevailing winds have been considered, and it has been decided to place the element on the southwest-northeast axis, following the layout of the N-340, in addition to proposing in the design a cross natural ventilation to maximize the airflow inside. The obelisk will have a hollow truncated pyramidal geometry, with a base of 7x7 meters and a top section of 3.5x3.5 meters. It will be constructed—using a custom metal formwork with longitudinal reinforcements and stirrups—in four sections of 7.28 meters in height and a final access section to the area enabled at the vertex for maintenance tasks, with concrete walls that will have an average thickness of between 30 and 40 centimeters. Inside, it will house a one-meter-wide metal spiral staircase that will serve to access the upper platform.

It will be erected on a concrete footing and will have a one-meter perimeter strip that will be executed using polished gray granite paving, and will be surrounded by a landscaped area of 458 square meters. It will be crowned with a three-meter-high lightning rod that will include a grounding system through rods or a buried ring, and due to exceeding 40 meters in height, luminous beaconing elements must be installed according to aeronautical regulations.

It will feature an exterior architectural lighting installation, with LED projectors embedded in the base and directed towards the structure, which will be activated by an automatic ignition system with an astronomical clock or twilight sensor. This will be complemented by an ornamental and road safety perimeter lighting system around the roundabout to be executed after the construction of the obelisk. Additionally, it will have irrigation networks (via remote management), stormwater and telecommunications networks, and pre-installation for a video surveillance system.

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