Conceived during the tumultuous years preceding the Spanish Civil War, the Zarzuela Hippodrome came about through a public contest sponsored by Madrid's Office of Suburban Access, who hoped that the winning design would replace the dilapidated Hippodrome located in Paseo de la Castellana.

In order to expand the Castellana-Recoletos, one of Madrid's main thoroughfares and the cornerstone of its growth in the 1930s, it became imperative to demolish the old hippodrome in order to make space for the Nuevos Ministerios government complex. For the new hippodrome, the planners sought out a more remote and suitable location, eventually deciding on a 115 hectare plot of land close to Monte El Pardo, on the northern outskirts of Madrid, where it would have the necessary space but also be connected to the city center via public transportation.

Nine projects were entered in the contest, with the winning team consisting of architects Carlos Arniches and Martín Domínguez along with engineer Eduardo Torroja.

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Let's think of a paper sheet. If we tried to stiffen it from its primary state, it couldn't support its own weight. However, if we bend it, the sheet achieves a new structural quality. The shells act in the same way. "You can't imagine a form that doesn't need a structure or a structure that doesn't have a form. Every form has a structure, and every structure has a form. Thus, you can't conceive a form without automatically conceiving a structure and vice versa". [1] The importance of the structural thought that culminates in the constructed object is then, taken by the relationship between form and structure. The shells arise from the association between concrete and steel and are structures whose continuous curved surfaces have a minimal thickness; thus they are widely used in roofs of large spans without intermediate supports.

In structural terms, they are efficient because they resist compression efforts and absorb at specific points on their surface, especially near the supports — small moments of flexion.

Architecture photographer Ana Amado has shared with us a set of photographs featuring Álvaro Siza's recently inaugurated Church of Saint-Jacques de la Lande, in Rennes—the first church built in Brittany, France this century.

As in many other Siza buildings, this church is built in white concrete and pays special attention to the natural light, which bathes the altar, tabernacle, pulpit and baptismal font from above. Externally, different volumes—blocks, cylinders and incisions—add to the overall mass of the building, distinguishing it from the neighboring housing blocks, while the use of few openings helps to establish a solid, permanent presence in the natural environment. Check Ana Amado's set of photographs below: 

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Madrid is unfathomable. If the city itself is immense, it´s examples of interesting architecture are overwhelming. For over a half a century, Madrid has been an experimental laboratory for modern and contemporary architecture in Spain. With numerous examples of innovative and experimental architecture, as well as many failures, few of which are valued and recognized. This selection seeks to show archetypal examples of architecture that have transcended time; it does not intend to be an exhaustive list of the city´s architectural works. Many will think that the list lacks important buildings and personally, I couldn´t agree more. That is perhaps the beauty of Madrid: there is a diversity of opinion, there are thousands of sites to see, the city surprises you with every step you take.

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