The Plaza España in Madrid is part of the historic centre of the city, a key piece of the urban system and a space that in the past has been submitted to diverse processes of transformation. However, as the city has evolved over time, this square and its surroundings have gradually deteriorated to the point that, nowadays, the city is looking not only to halt this process but to reverse its effects and to fully capitalize on the plaza’s neglected atmospheric, historical and patrimonial values.
Complex urban and social dynamics operate in the plaza’s immediate zone of influence, which have dictated the guidelines laid down by the city to revitalize the historic centre and the future development of Madrid. Besides which, the proposed development strategies for the city and its urban structure aim to recuperate the role of the historic centre as the nucleus of the city. Not only from a geographic point of view, but also from an urban, environmental, social, pedagogical, recreational and cultural perspective.
The strategies implemented by the proposed urban intervention contribute to the realization of these regeneration policies and focus the project towards the following parameters.

·         A spatial strategy of urban connections.

·         Validation and celebration of the historical heritage of the plaza as place of cultural exchange

·         Promotion and consolidation of the economic and social activities that ensure the appropriation of the space by the citizens of Madrid and therefore assure the sustainability of the project.

·         Safe and effective integration of transport systems, including public, private, cycle and pedestrian.

Type: Landscape / Leisure
Date: 07.2016
Client: Ayuntamiento de Madrid
Location:  Madrid, España
Size: -
Status: Concept design, opend competition   
Team: Anna Kulik, Giorgio Badalacchi
Natalia Canal, Ana Winograd, Laura Gutierrez, Fredy Pantoja, Jose Maria Rodriguez, Juan Sebastian Laverde
Images: MOBO, Monomo