Madrid, Spain

Barceló Market

The new Barceló market and its surroundings area project is in fact the result of various other projects: An urban combination of different scale and programme elements that have come together to significantly transform a dense central area of Madrid. The idea originates from the definition of new areas that connect and link the different structures and foreseen functions of the market, shopping centre, sports centre, public library, car parks, temporary market and outdoor areas. The built-up complex is made up of three independent structures joined to a new public square. The Market – nucleus and heart of the whole operation- is conveyed as being an autonomous structure, which is located at the confluence point where its different façades open out onto the calle Mejía Lequerica and calle Beneficiencia. Its main attraction is an indoor shopping arcade with contrasting vertical symmetry inspired by large urban shopping centres from the past, that concentrate the complex’s vertical and horizontal traffic. The sports pavilion rises up over the market. Its roof is actually a large elevated square from which the roof tops of Madrid can be made out. The new public library overlooks the school playground built right beside to become part of an urban complex. Its materials and structure are the same as those of the market and sports centre.

The geometric and physical appearance of the different buildings and their façades confirm that – despite their different functions – the new buildings belong to the same time period and place. A façade made up of large pieces of moulded glass, ~~white and opaline~~ unifies the new public buildings style ~~market, sports centre, library~~ to illuminate and unify the whole complex. The style of the public areas in the plazas de Alonso Martínez and Barceló, as well as that of the neighbouring streets, their mutual paving and street furniture, transmit the feeling of the past radical subtle change that has taken place in the neighbourhood.

Like an escalated version of civic life, where places to live, study, teach, go shopping, have fun, do sport, read, go for a walk or relax have a common setting, the new buildings and outdoor areas come together in an surprise puzzle in which every single different piece only makes sense when they are all put other in their exact precise place.

1. Market

The central point of the new market is a high roofed arcade, where elegant escalators go up and down to the terrace and shops on the upper floors, inviting passers-by to take a walk around the whole building from la calle Mejía Lequerica to the new square behind. Large panes of glass through which the market stalls set up in parallel lanes along the wide indoor streets can be seen. The market can be accessed from the street or through the square; a vertical space makes the user appreciate the magnitude of the three level establishment. An ensemble of parallel escalators going up to the arcade connect the different levels, whilst a compact nucleus of service lifts, elevators and toilets connect all the floors, even down to the basement warehouse, handling areas and car park. The exterior façade is made up of U shaped white moulded glass linear pieces, 50cm wide, that form an on-going opaline coating covering all the buildings in the complex.

2. Sports centre

The new Barceló sports centre looks onto the rooftops of Madrid. The market’s roof is in fact a large 1500 m2 square where children can play, young people can do sport, elderly people can soak up the sun or just look out at the sights of the city. An independent communication centre and a large mechanical ramp provide direct access to this floor that also has changing rooms, toilets, inspection and access to the sports area. The neighbouring school children have direct access from the playground by means of an underground entrance. A glass windowed coffee shop lies under a large deck on which the roofed pavilion is located. The communication centre goes right up to the top level dividing the area into two: the gym looking out onto la calle Barceló and the sports pavilion itself, where a gigantic 32 metre long window opens out onto the city’s roof tops.

3. -Library

The library’s linear structure together with the existing and new schools form a new block has been conceived to be a building-bridge, leaving the space below free to enlarge the school playground, it is based on two aspects of the communication centres, access and services. In this way, the two upper longitudinal levels can be used as the programme’s reading and meeting areas, with different possible lay outs. The same materials are used on its façade as those used for the market and sports centre, so that natural light can filter through to the reading areas.

4. Temporary Market

The building of the temporary market that will be used when the construction work of the new buildings is in progress, is intended to be an urban facility which can be recycled and that conveys the inspired ability of a temporary operation to change with its environment. As it has to house the numerous outlets that have to be maintained, the building is divided up into six pentagonal shaped floor areas, that are set at different heights and have different lay outs, thus preventing it being out of proportion with regard to the surrounding buildings. A linear double height structure along la calle Beneficiencia will be used for the handling areas, warehouses, cold storage rooms and installations. One of this building’s fundamental features is its exterior facade made of glazed polycarbonate that covers the polygonal cylinders to let natural light filter through during the day and which become huge lanterns lighting up the square in the evening. Once the construction work has been completed, these cylinders will be taken down and could be used somewhere else in the city, so that the new Barceló square, whose paving, landscaping and street furniture blends in with the surroundings, will round off the change made to this historical areas of Madrid.

5. Outdoor areas

The district will restore new pedestrian areas. There are two lanes for traffic in la calle Barceló and Mejía Lequerica. The granite paving and greenery cover the las calles Beneficiencia, the interstitial urban and new outdoor areas. In la plaza de Alfonso Martinez there is only one road for traffic thus creating a large urban tree lined delight. The superficial slopes highlight flat paving, with play and leisure areas filled with both existing and newly planted trees. The street furniture blends in with the polygonal geometric design conveyed by the temporary market, so that the passer-by can unconsciously take in the parallelism transmitted throughout the sphere of activity.

Europaconcorsi Beta

Barceló Market