Dialogue Between Palace and Land—Rain Garden and Hydrological Restoration Strategies for Sustainable Landscape Renewal at the Alhambra

This study proposes a sustainable framework for landscape renewal at the Alhambra by integrating rain-garden systems with hydrological restoration under the conceptual lens of Dialogue Between Palace and Land. Addressing challenges of seasonal drought, flash flooding, and soil degradation, the research identifies the site as an exemplary context for water-sensitive interventions that are both ecologically functional and culturally resonant. Topographic and hydrological analyses delineate priority zones for distributed rain-garden installations to regulate stormwater, enhance infiltration, and stabilize microclimates. In parallel, selective reactivation of historic water flows and passive irrigation channels reinforces the ecological memory embedded in the Alhambra’s historic fabric. The proposed strategies—vegetated swales, permeable surfaces, and native planting assemblages—are conceived as low-impact, reversible infrastructures compatible with heritage-conservation standards. Quantitative evaluations using GIS-based watershed modeling, soil-infiltration tests, and NDVI vegetation-health analysis demonstrate reduced peak runoff, increased infiltration capacity, and elevated biodiversity indices. By positioning hydrological function as both ecological infrastructure and a regenerative aesthetic medium, this research offers a transferable model for integrating nature-based systems into heritage landscapes, advancing broader discourses on climate adaptation, ecological resilience, and culturally sensitive landscape architecture.