Osinbeltz Quarry Restoration‍ ‍‍ ‍

Location: Zestoa, Gipuzkoa, Basque Country/ Spain

Unrealised vision

Studio Fink's land art vision for restoring Gipuzkoa's largest disused quarry, which closed in 2003 with no funds set aside for its repair. Proposed by GHK, the Gipuzkoa Waste Consortium, and to be funded by GHK and the community, the scheme was put forward as an alternative to the Zubieta incinerator. It built on the recycling already widespread across the Basque region, in homes and in industry. A mechanical and biological treatment plant would have recovered 80% of refuse as reusable material, with the remaining inert residue placed in a sealed, lined void to form a stable landform. Studio Fink carried out a year-long community consultation involving over 4,000 people across the Basque region, shaping the Osinbeltz Nature Arena, a landmark land art and cultural destination and a transformative gain for the Basque community. The incinerator was built and the vision did not go ahead, but its process and aims remain visionary.