Palacio de Cibeles- Centro Centro- Palacio de Comunicaciones

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

Architects: Antonio Palacios + Joaquin Otamendi

Refurbishment:Arquimatica

Location: CentroCentro. Plaza de Cibeles, 1. 28014 Madrid, España

After my first week of transition, I decided I needed some architectural inspiration so I headed towards the famous Spanish arch, la Puerta de Alcala. When I asked for directions I was told to continue down La Gran Via until I reached it. On my way over, I was held back by an immense white decorative building which hugged the Plaza Cibeles. I headed towards the building without any previous knowledge of what it was and was pleasantly surprised to find that I could enter for free. Turns out the interior would be even more awe-inspiring...

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

Photo Cred:Centro Centro

The building is currently Madrid's City Hall, but it also serves as the city's cultural center. Upon entering, the first floor quickly informs the visitor about the history of the building through panels hung along the first floor's walls. 

Photo Cred: Centro Centro

 The building, once nicknamed the "Cathedral of Communications" (Catedral de las Comunicaciones), was previously in charge of, not only Madrid's, but also the rest of the country's telegraphs and mail. It was considered a "symbol of modernization and progress" because it not only embraced the technology of the time, but it also united the traditional notion of monumentality, decoration, and classicism with the rationalism and functionalism the building required.

The architects, Palacios and Otamendi, won the competition put forward by the state in 1904 and construction began in 1907. It took twelve years to complete and was inaugurated March 14, 1919. The buildings main materials at the time consisted of stone, steel and crystal.  

Communication technology changed and the building continued its post office function, but now incoporating a Telegraphic Museum. In 1993, the building was declared a national monument. And in 2004, the state, once again, put forward a competition in order to restore and rehabilitate the building.

Photo Cred:Centro Centro Original Plan

Drawing Cred:Arquimatica

Photo Creds:Arquimatica

The winning firm Arquimatica (comprised of architects Francisco Rodríguez Partearroyo, David Márquez Latorre, Ángel Martínez Díaz and Francisco Martínez Díez) won the competition in February of 2005. The project took five years to complete. In 2007, the building became the official City Hall, as well as the space for Centro Centro-the cultural center (also nicknamed the 5 Cs "CentroCentro Cibeles de Cultura y Ciudadania").

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

 The project's main intentions consisted of 
1. Assessing the damage of the original building and trying to restore as much of it as possible.
2. Restoring some of the original elements and values which had been compromised by newer interventions. Specifically the exterior form, the light quality, space distribution, and original construction and materials.
3. Adapting the building to its new program and to current security and accessibility requirements.

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

Arquimatica's challenge was to rehabilitate a building so closely tied to the city's history and image. Honing the architect's favorite cliché, Arquimatica describes the interventions as having "[introduced veins, nerves, arteries, lungs, giving the building a new youth, but respecting the values of the architects who created it]". They're biggest surprise was figuring out what the original light treatment intents had been compared to what the building had become over time. 

The new spaces include: El Salon del Pleno, La Caja de Musica Auditorium, and La Galeria de Cristal (yet major attention was put into the central core area and the observation tower).

PROGRAM:
-1: 
>>>Salon del Pleno (Government's Conference Room)- This used to be the mail distribution center and it's been restored to its original double height.

Photo Creds:CentroCentro

>>>Caja de Musica Auditorium-  Triangulated Wooden Panels for sound optimizations, 270 Seat Capacity and holds open conferences and debates for the Cultural Center

>>>stock rooms, studios, archives, dressroom areas,
>>>Installation Room

0 Ground Floor: 
>>>Galeria de Cristal Public Access (which serves as a multifunctional space)- This used to be where the mail trucks were parked 2800 m2. 30m high. The ceiling holds 2000 pieces of crystal, 2966 Steel Rods and 1034 joints all weighing 500 tons.

2 Main Floor: 
>>>Information Desk, Visitor Services, Palacio de Comunicaciones Historical Exhibition, Cafeteria

1,3-5:
>>>Exhibition Spaces (5000m2)

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

Photo Creds: KJ ARCINIEGA

6: >>>Restaurant and Terrace Bar

8: >>>Outlook Tower (70m) 

Drawing Cred: Arquimatica

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

My first visit was very pleasant- I have visited Centro Centro a few times now and I want to say that the cultural center felt like a cultural place of shelter. The information desk is always filled with event flyers for museums, fairs, galleries, libraries, and other cultural centers of the city and it is open to the public everyday of the week except for Tuesdays.





The building  also has an amazing view from the third floor corridor which runs along the core of the building. The corridor looks down
onto the ground floor and captures a better 
view of the skylight. 

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA

The auditorium is also a very beautiful space which I got to see while attending one of the many free public programs (in my case a debate on "What is Contemporary Art?"). For the most part, the exhibitions are free and if they're not there is usually a day of the week when they are or in the last week of the exhibition.

Drawing Cred:Arquimatica

Photo Cred:Arquimatica

I am not a huge fan of the way the glass courtyard structure looks, but I love the way the building's historical programmatic elements can still be spotted. I also enjoy the manipulation of light in the building. I was least impressed with the interior decor and furnishings since I thought they were a bit loud, making them clash with the already very decorative building. I think the purpose of the decor was that it could reflect a youthful, fun and welcoming atmosphere but it could definitely be improved.

Photo Cred:Arquimatica

Photo Cred: Arquimatica

The More Beautiful Decorative Elements:

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA and Google Awesome

So if you visit Madrid don't just take photographs from the plaza, but go in, explore the spaces, take a break, read the news, grab some flyers or simply enjoy the vistas out onto La Gran Via.

AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Photo Cred: KJ ARCINIEGA and Google Awesome

What are your thoughts?

CENTRO CENTRO
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Works Cited:
http://www.arquimatica.com/xhtml/proyecto.php?id_prj=11&id_news=1

http://www.arquimatica.com/xhtml/prj_tipo.php?id_tipo=1

http://www.centrocentro.org/centro/lasede#


http://inhabitat.com/madrids-palacio-de-cibeles-renovated-into-jaw-dropping-centrocentro-cultural-center/arquimatica-centrocentro-refurbished-palacio-de-cibeles-madrid-2/?extend=1

[any necessary corrections or inquiries please let me know]