NEW URBAN SPACES in Recent Years, Madrid Has Undergone Some Big Changes
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www.esmadrid.com MADRIDNEW URBAN SPACES In recent years, Madrid has undergone some big changes. As new spaces have been generated, renovation work has also been carried out in many of the city’s key areas and places of interest, used every day by locals and visitors. With a policy of increasing the number of green spaces and giving pedestrians priority over vehicles, Madrid has demonstrated its commitment to sustainable growth. Take a look at the city’s new attractions. THE MADRID RÍO PROJECT YOU’LL BE SURPRISED NOTES Rescued BY THE CHANGE An entire area that never even used to feature on maps has been brought back to life and is now enveloped in Hidden behind a tangle of roads for years, the waters of the Manzanares an intense fragrance of pine trees. River have regained their former sparkle thanks to this ambitious plan to move cars underground. Discover the new gardens, bridges and pathways along its rejuvenated banks. Contrasts The elegant historic gardens of Campo del Moro on one side, facing the Salón de Pinos trail on the other. MADRID RÍO area is full of surprises: a completely It’s difficult to imagine if you don’t renovated landscape for sporting know what it used to be like. Just a few activities, green areas and designer Fast-flowing years ago this newly regenerated spa- viewpoints, as well as Madrid’s new The increased water level means it is now possible to go canoeing along ce, now the perfect place for a stroll beach, with pools, refreshing clouds the Arganzuela stretch of the river. under the shade of the trees next to of water vapour and water jets. The the Manzanares River, was a busy road area also now features 26,000 newly filled with noisy traffic. Since big pro- planted trees and 42 kilometres of Bridges The banks are connected by 33 blems demand big solutions, the road footpaths, connecting to the Anillo new and old walkways and a series was buried underground and replaced Verde, a ‘Green Ring’ of bike lanes of dams, allowing both cars and by lush vegetation. This new leisure looping round Madrid. pedestrians to cross. 02 www.esMADRID.com/madridrioproject Check out our website to find out more about the transformation of the Manzanares River. 01. Puente de Segovia bridge. 02. Walkway, by Daniel Canogar. 03. La Caja Mágica. 04. View of the river. 05. Matadero Madrid. MATADERO MADRID PARKS AND GARDENS It’s the Manzanares’ winning formu- through play. It is the new epicentre Madrid Río benefits from a number la: take something that’s no longer of the city’s intense cultural and ar- of historic gardens along the banks in use, in this case a Neo-Mudejar tistic life. Of particular interest inside of the Manzanares River, which are abattoir dating from the early 20th its 46,000-plus square metres are now connected as never before. To century, and turn it into something the Naves del Español, a performing the north, the river first enters Mon- radically new. The results of the pro- arts space in which nothing can be te del Pardo and flows alongside ject, involving the participation of 23 taken for granted and where theatre Casa de Campo. Next, it runs by the architects and engineers, are outs- recovers a sense of the avant-garde; gardens of the Campo del Moro and tanding. After eight years of building the screens and auditorium of the San Isidro Park before reaching Ar- work, it has become the largest cul- Cineteca, where documentary cine- ganzuela Park. Finally, we come to tural centre in southern Europe. This ma takes centre stage; the trailbla- Tierno Galván Park, which leads on diverse, decentralized space is home zing Casa del Lector; the Abierto X to the Linear Park of the Manzana- to activities ranging from ground- Obras creative centre; and Nave 16, res, with Dominique Perrault’s spec- breaking audiovisual works to work- Madrid’s largest multi-purpose exhi- tacular Caja Mágica. And all without shops encouraging children to learn bition space. stepping into your car. 03 WALKS IN THE CENTRE LIVELY AND COSMOPOLITAN Underneath the trees that line the broad Recoletos and Prado boulevards you can feel the busy hum of daily life in the city. The Literary Quarter is another good example of urban renovation, where the needs of pedestrians and shop owners have been given priority. RECOLETOS AND PRADO It’s worth setting aside the big galler- ies just for a moment and simply tak- ing a walk through this beautiful part of Madrid, so full of life and the hustle and bustle of the city. We recommend setting out from Plaza de Colón and heading down Paseo de Recoletos, a delightful tree-lined avenue full of fa- mous cafes with terraces, and packed with beautiful buildings like the Linares Palace (housing the Casa de América), the palace of the Marquess of Salaman- ca (today the headquarters of the BBVA Foundation) and the Mapfre Founda- CIBELES PALACE tion. The old Post Office building, tion space. Opening up before you will be the Pa- designed by the architects Pa- Its Glass Gallery, a massive, seo del Prado, the oldest public garden lacios and Otamendi and built irregularly-shaped vault, is free in Spain, where you will find two iconic between 1907 and 1919, is now to visit and has some specta- squares, Cibeles and Neptuno, half- the headquarters of Madrid’s cular views from the top floor. way between those of Cortes and Leal- City Council, and contains over Entrance is via the portico at Ca- tad. In front of the façade of CaixaForum 45,000 m2 given over to the use lle Alcalá 50, or via the one at you can take in an impressive vertical of the public. It is also a huge Montalbán 1. Today, following a garden. And if you’re looking to get cultural centre, destined to be- series of alterations, it is used away from it all, there’s no place like the come a new highlight of the Art both for institutional functions Botanical Gardens, a real oasis of calm. Walk, as an international exhibi- and public events. 04 www.esmadrid.com/en/art-walk Visit our website for more information about all the things you can find on the Art Walk. 01. Cibeles Palace. CONDE DUQUE 02. Carrera de San Jerónimo. With 5,000 square metres of sur- 03. ABC Museum. face area and a 228-metre façade, this is one of the most impres- sive buildings in Madrid. In fact, it’s even larger than the Prado Museum. Following its restoration, LITERARY QUARTER the former barracks has opened Now completely pedestrianised, more discrete sibling of Plaza a new chapter in its history with Calle de las Huertas has become Santa Ana. the incorporation of a theatre and the natural channel connecting From there, if you head down Calle additional exhibition spaces. With Paseo del Prado and Plaza Mayor. de las Huertas you will reach Plaza almost 300 years of history behind Walking along it, you can enjoy an de Matute and a labyrinth of quiet it, after its recent makeover, it has area of Madrid that has undergone streets in which to lose yourself at recovered the original brickwork a dramatic transformation over leisure. The ambitious facelift has of the façade and its 19th-century recent years. Without in any way served to boost the popularity of this industrial architecture, with bigger sacrificing its rich historical iden- already popular neighbourhood even windows, new woodwork, and zinc tity, it has re-emerged as a shin- further. A traditional night spot, it now roofs. In this same area, the brand- ing symbol of modernity. Walking also boasts plenty of new shops, new ABC Museum houses a unique from Plaza de Jacinto Benavente, without of course detracting from its collection of illustrations from co- you come to Plaza del Ángel, the uniquely traditional character. mics and the press. 05 N 06 DIRECTORY AND MAP MuSEO ABC CuAr TEL dEL CONdE d uqu E Amaniel 29-31 Conde Duque 9 PLAzA dE SANTA BÁr BArA PLAzA dE COLóN PASEO dE rECOLETOS FuENCArrAL SErrANO TrIBALL PríNCIPE Pí O CALLAO rEd dE SAN LuIS ALCALÁ CruCE GrAN Ví A PALACIO dE CIBELES Alcalá 50 / Montalbán 1 PuEr TA dEL SOL PASEO dEL CArr ErA dE Pr AdO Ar ENAL SAN JEró NIMO MuSEO THySSEN MErCAdO dE Paseo del Prado 8 PuENTE d E SAN MIGuEL SEGOVIA HuEr TAS MuSEO dEL Pr AdO Paseo del Prado s/n /n s 36 o ad Prado DIRECTORIOATOCHA Y MAPA el o d o del Pr se MADRID R se ÍO Donde se reunen los mejores Pa PríncipePa Pío paladares de la. l 52 DondeCAIXAFOruM MAdrId se reunen los mejores ATOC HA be paladares de la PRÍNCI PE P ÍO a Is Museo Thyssen Puente de Segovia Santa Donde se reunen los mejores Donde se reunen los mejores paladares de. paladares de la PUERTA DEL ÁNGELrEINAMuSEO SOFíA BANCO DE E SPAÑA era 14 hop IO d E LETr AS Museo r eina Sofía Pasarela de Perraoult C rr la Donde se reunen los mejores Donde a 2 se reunen los mejores AS e BA ci L paladares de la MARQUÉS DE paladares de la. 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