The Use of Orthogonal Grids in the Design of US Military Bases in Spain

摘要

At the beginning of the Cold War, the United States established military bases at various points around the globe to counter Soviet influence. The construction of these bases was an unprecedented undertaking because its scope. In Spain, an extensive network of military installations was built throughout the country in only 5 years. The main nuclei of this network were the bases of Torrejon, Zaragoza, Moron, and Rota. This article aims to show that these bases share a common design project which implements an underlying grid-like system in the organization of their masterplans. After detailed study of the Torrejon air base, we aim to demonstrate that this grid-like system was conceived as a sophisticated and precise graphic tool able to facilitate the design, construction, and maintenance of the bases, as well as to back an ideological project.