Line 10 of the Madrid Metro (inaugurated in 1961) is a cultural and architectural route that crosses the city from north to south, from Puerta del Sur station to Hospital Infanta Sofía, connecting neighborhoods and stations full of history and art through of 36.5 kilometers. It is also the only one that has both capitals outside the municipal limits of the capital. Throughout its 31 stations it offers us the opportunity to see murals, emblematic spaces and the evolution of the metro since its first days. We cannot talk about each of the works that are in each station but we have made a selection of those that are essential.
Garden Colony
Colonia Jardín is a station that stands out for its proximity to the historic neighborhood that gives it its name, a place of inspiration for urban planners of the 20th century who opted for more open and green spaces. Here, the murals and decor pay homage to the area’s rural past.
Under the title “The Four Seasons” Natalia Sánchez Panadero has decorated the station with four screen-printed murals on ceramic support, one for each season, which symbolize the passage of time, as they show the change of the same landscape throughout an entire year. . The set is inspired by the legend “The arrogance of the tree”, which describes how a tree challenged the wind and when it blew strongly it had to shed its leaves to avoid being felled, which will happen every autumn from then on.
Lago
The Lago station dates back to 1961, when the Madrid underground was born, but together with the Batán station it was renovated as part of the expansion plan that ended in 2003 to adapt it to the new gauge of Line 10. The works allowed it to expand its lobby, up to then limited by the access staircase to the central station and some technical rooms, and close the 128 m2 porch with a transparent coating. On the floor of the lobby, which currently has an area of 286 m2, travelers are welcomed by a square Roman-style mosaic, which accompanies the one representing the Metro logo at the entrance to the station.
Chamartin
This season brings together past and presents like no other. Here you can see the spectacular waterfall of lights that decorates Chamartín, named “Iguazú”. It enhances the grandeur of this station of unique dimensions. It is the work of Vicente Patón and Alberto Tellería and consists of a 1,000 square meter area on a curved surface 21 meters high that covers three of the four levels of the station. Inspired by the light that floods the cathedral apses, the incessant movement of its artificial light accompanies travelers as they descend through the different levels of the station.
In addition, the Chamartín station hosts a spectacular exhibition of classic Metro trains, which were completely restored to celebrate the company’s Centennial in 2019. The exhibition includes 12 historic cars, including the first ones that circulated on the city a century ago. line 1, and nearly 100 historical pieces of the underground, as well as photographs that show the evolution and history of Metro since its beginnings.
Marquis of Valdavia
The upper mural of the two that make up the artistic group “A ras del tierra” reproduces in giant format photographs taken at ground level in the Parque de Catalunya. Like the lower mural, the upper one, visible from the platforms, shows details of the grass, but incorporates fragments of sky to reinforce the idea of descent into the depth of the station.
Catholic kings
The decoration of the Reyes Católicos station, which serves as access to the Bullring of San Sebastián de los Reyes, is the work of Rodrigo Muñoz Ballester and is dedicated to the bullfighting universe. Under the title “Clamor”, the author turns the station, precisely, into a bullring, giving all the attention to the spectators, whom he has drawn one by one, taking care of their looks, their postures and their clothing in detail. an area of 800 square meters. On the platforms the boards of the lines are located and as the view goes up in height, the whole merges into a haze of clay-colored characters.
