Foster + Partners is leading massive refurbishment works on a historic building in Madrid. The renovation project that will put in place an office building for Acciona, seeks to revitalize an abandoned old industrial building built in 1905, generating over 10,000 square-meters of new spaces.
The new office building for Acciona, the Spanish sustainable infrastructure and Energy Company, is under construction. Designed by Foster + Partners, the adaptive reuse project rejuvenates an industrial structural from the early 1900s, “creating a sustainable exemplar for building reuse and breathing new life into the surrounding area”.
Originally used as a natural gas plant that supplied energy to the surrounding areas, the building was abandoned, before getting acquired by Acciona in 2017. Located inside Madrid’s Calle 30 with direct access to public transport, the 10,000 square-meters building of new office space, extends to the adjoining Méndez Álvaro metro station through green landscaping, unifying private and public land. Conserving over 10,000 tons of brick, the proposal rehabilitates the entire envelope and the soaring interior volume.
This project offers the rare opportunity to give this magnificent building a new lease of life. It is a great example of the Luis de Landecho’s early twentieth-century work, and our design aims to retain its original spirit while creating a workplace that is flexible and adaptable to new and emerging ways of working. Together with Acciona, we have developed a design that is underpinned by our shared vision of sustainability and demonstrates our commitment towards the environment. -- Nigel Dancey, Head of Studio, Foster + Partners
Under the historic roof, a series of stepped floors were introduced. “Made from timber sustainably sourced from local forests, the lightweight structure allows for spatial flexibility, while also integrating lighting, ventilation and other services within”. In fact, this structure, made of natural materials, is both recyclable and demountable, saving more than 1,000 tons of CO2 and contributing to the wellbeing and productivity of the environment.
Creating a biophilic environment, the project takes on a central skylight that brings natural light to the interior and reduces the need for energy-consuming artificial light. In addition, the building will include a new courtyard within on the ground floor space that “leads to a large 10,000 square-meter park with 300 trees with outdoor working spaces and areas for informal meetings sheltered by a green canopy of trees”.
