The Fallas are a very traditional celebration, just like the principal fiestas of most towns and villages. They have their rituals, protocols and paraphernalia that have remained unchanged over many centuries, which is also part of their charm. Some falla commissions are more innovative, others are more conservative. And then there is the Falla of Corona, located in the Ciutat Vella district, in the Barrio del Carmen neighbourhood of Valencia, which, despite its 150 years of history, has positioned itself as the most avant-garde, an unofficial title which it sets out to renew every year, because every year it is reinvented with a creativity which cannot be properly understood without its link to design in all its domains (fashion design, product design, graphic design…).
Beginning with its “casal”, the place where the “falleros” meet, which does not look like a conventional casal. On the door, for example, they have a digital counter that, every year on 19 March, begins a count-down showing how many days remain until the next Fallas are held. Furthermore, there are no portraits of the “falleras mayores”, or main representatives of the commission, by way of a historic gallery, as is usually the case, but in their place is an exhibition of small dolls that represent them, together with a name plate for each one.
As of the year 2000, this falla commission proposed the involvement of designers and artists in its monumental proposals, thereby looking at the fiesta from a creative angle. To this end, they appealed to renowned cultural figures.