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Torremolinos’ newly renovated public space has been revealed, featuring new pergolas and shaded areas, as well as lighting and decorative elements. However, not everyone is happy with the results.
After months of renovation, a landmark reopens.
After a major refurbishment, the Plaza de La Nogalera reopened to the public on Thursday, 23 July. The official ceremony was led by Mayor Margarita del Cid at 10pm. She was joined by Patricia Navarro of the regional government, Javier Salas, a sub-delegate from the government and other members of the Town Hall. Residents and tourists gathered in large numbers to witness the results.
The works extended beyond the square to include Calle Emilio Esteban and Calle Antonio Giron, as well as a section of Calle Cauce. Officials have described it as the town’s largest urban regeneration project in recent times, with a goal to improve daily life for everyone.
Structures, shades and clever design
Designers installed 34 canopies made of a microperforated mesh, fixed to a steel frame. A central pergola of approximately 500 square metres anchors this design. This is meant to lower temperatures, and give the area a stronger sense identity. The structures have also been designed to collect renewable energy. It feeds into a system of integrated energy management and helps counter the urban heat effect many cities experience during summer.
Celebrate in the Town Centre
The reopening celebrations spread beyond the plaza. The free activities began at 7pm and included children’s workshops based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Live music, a fashion catwalk with hairdressing demonstrations, and a parade of 10 fantastical floral characters. Torremolinos’s LGTBI Choir also performed to a packed audience.
Reaction splits on the internet
Not everyone has been ecstatic about the new square. The social media comments below photos of the reopened square have raised a common complaint: an apparent absence of trees and other greenery where older plants once stood.
Many users have asked where the shade promised has gone. One user joked the plaza’s name should be “Square of the Poles,” given the many metal structures that now dominate the area. Another user on social media simply asked: “Where are the trees?”
Cost was also discussed online, with one comment claiming the project carried a price tag of around €3.2 million and questioning why it took so long to deliver so little visible planting. A longer post argued that real sustainability depends on “mature trees, natural shade, vegetation, biodiversity” rather than concrete and modern lighting alone, adding that Torremolinos “deserves a square that is modern, yes—but also alive, welcoming, and prepared for the heat.”
The plaza was described as “an open air brothel” by one commenter, while another stated that it “just needs benches, flowers and shade.”
Despite the criticism, residents still hope that the council will plant more trees in future.
