Madrid will premiere in early 2022 a work by the British Norman Foster, one of the most renowned architects in the world. The rehabilitation works of the Acciona property, a former gas plant in Méndez Álvaro, have already begun in the spirit of sustainability, according to the company.
Acciona acquired the property without use from Naturgy in 2017 and, as anticipated Five days last year, he commissioned Foster to rehabilitate him. It is the engine ship, the only survivor, of the Cerro de la Plata Industrial Gasification Society, built in brick in 1905 and designed by Luis Landecho, who also designed the Ritz Hotel and the Athenaeum in Madrid.
The works of the project in Ombú street, in front of El Corte Inglés by Méndez Álvaro, began in April after receiving the municipal license. Foster conserves the 10,000 tons of brick from the old warehouse and rehabilitates its exterior. Inside, create a new wooden structure with a commitment to using material obtained from nearby factories and forests. The old lantern in the center of the roof is rehabilitated to create a skylight that brings natural light to the interior, reducing energy consumption. In addition, the glass incorporates silicon plates that generate electricity.
The offices designed by Acciona will have a leasable area of 10,000 m2. The company chaired by José Manuel Entrecanales has not disclosed the investment in development and is considering the option of selling these new offices or renting them. The firm studied that this property was its new corporate headquarters, but finally they will move to another project on Mesena Street, in the old headquarters in Santander Spain.
The interior has three tiered floors to give a feeling of spaciousness and allow light to pass through. The project also entails creating a 10,000 m2 park – bordering the building – in which 300 trees will be planted and which is designed as a space where you can work, have informal meetings and rest. The pedestrian entrance to Ombú 6, in fact, is made through a novel circular access in the park but at a lower level than the street and from which you reach a large distribution patio.
This is the second work that the Foster + Partners studio develops simultaneously in Madrid. The renovation of the historic Barclays headquarters in Plaza de Colón, which will have Caixabank as a new tenant, is currently being completed for the CBRE GI fund. Likewise, together with Carlos Rubio he won the competition for the remodeling of the Kingdom Hall of the Prado Museum, which will add 2,500 m2 in a new extension.
Foster won the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1999 and the Prince of Asturias in 2009. In Madrid he also designed the Cepsa Tower, completed in 2009 in the surroundings of the Four Towers. Additionally, it reformed the 1912 mansion in Chamberí that houses the Norman Foster Foundation itself. In Spain, it adds other works, such as the Bilbao metro stations, the Faustino winery in Burgos, the Collserola communications tower and the Repsol service stations.
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