La Ventana al Mar facts for kids
La Ventana al Mar is a wonderful public park in Condado, a lively area of San Juan, Puerto Rico. It opened in 2004 and faces the amazing Atlantic Ocean. This park is special because it's located between two famous hotels: the historic Condado Vanderbilt Hotel and the modern La Concha Hotel. It's a big space, about 1.8 hectares (that's like 4.5 acres!), and it was built to help make the Condado area even better.
Discovering La Ventana al Mar
This beautiful park was designed by a talented architect from Puerto Rico named Andrés Mignucci. It has won many awards for its great design! Some of these awards include honors from the American Institute of Architects and the Puerto Rico Architecture Biennale. The park was even shown in an art exhibit in Berlin, Germany, in 2016.
What Makes the Park Special?
La Ventana al Mar has some cool features. You can find a large, beautiful fountain there. This fountain was designed with help from a company called Wet Design. There are also two sculptures by the artist Ángel Botello. The park is a popular spot for fun events. Music festivals, like "La Ventana al Jazz," are often held here. You can also find weekend markets and fairs, making it a lively place for everyone.
How the Park Came to Be
The land where La Ventana al Mar now stands used to be home to the old Condado Convention Center. For many years, it was hard for people to get to the beach in Condado. Most of the area was filled with private hotels and tall buildings. This meant that views of the ocean and access to the sand were often blocked.
In the late 1990s, the Convention Center and the Vanderbilt and La Concha Hotels were closed. They were in bad shape and needed repairs. The government of Puerto Rico had an idea to fix up the Vanderbilt Hotel. They also planned to tear down the old Convention Center and La Concha Hotel.
A big company from the United States wanted to build a new hotel and apartment complex there. But many people in the community, local architects, and the city of San Juan were not happy with this plan. They protested and spoke out against it.
Finally, a different idea was approved. The city of San Juan suggested a new project. This plan focused on fixing up the two important hotels. It also included creating a large public space right in the middle. This public space is what we now know as La Ventana al Mar. This new plan was approved and built, giving everyone a beautiful "window to the sea."
