Madrid Río
200best ES
Burgos & Garrido Arquitectos
Porras La Casta Arquitectos
Rubio & Á.-Sala
2015
Type
Park
Tags
public spaces, green lungs, green surfaces, 200Best
Visitability
Allowed
Description
The Madrid Río project is the most important construction work carried out in Madrid in the last few decades and, probably, one of the most ambitious recent public space projects in Europe. In 2003, the local government of Madrid decided to build a tunnel for a section of the city’s main ring road, which ran along the banks of the Manzanares River for six kilometres and whose construction, 30 years ago, led to the disappearance of the connections between the city and the river, which became isolated, inaccessible and invisible.In 2005, the team formed by Burgos & Garrido Architects, Porras La Casta, Rubio & A-Sala and West 8, led by architect Ginés Garrido, won the international competition for the design of the public space in the area opened up by the burying of the motorway. The project, now completed, connects Madrid with the beautiful landscapes that surround it, transforming the Manzanares river into a connection point between the city and its immediate environment.Madrid Río extends over 150 hectares of green areas and 6 hectares of public and sports facilities, interpretation and arts creation centres, an urban beach, children’s play areas, kiosks and cafés. A total amount of €420 million was invested in the project, and with it, the river has reclaimed the city of Madrid.Madrid Río is a large-scale urban project that runs through a significant part of the city. Its size and scale compromise the urban fabric of the city, affecting its entire ecosystem. The project ranges from underground functional levels to new elements on the surface.The process encompassed several aspects, including new urban mobility elements (25 miles of tunnels capable of handling over 200,000 vehicles a day), the undergrounding of power lines (which carry 40% of the city’s energy), the complete renovation of the rainwater collection and filtration system, flood protection measures, the creation of new connections between neighbourhoods through the construction of 21 bridges and the creation of a public green space of more than 360 acres. Madrid Río is the most ambitious, complex and multi-faceted project ever built in Madrid, and has required the involvement of every technical discipline and agent, which has positively and directly benefited more than 1,000,000 inhabitants in this city by the project.(Description provided by Burgos Garrido)