CaixaForum Madrid, Madrid, Spain

Related people

Evan Chakroff (was created by)
Pierre de Meuron (architect)
Jacques Herzog (was created by)
Herzog and de Meuron (architect)

Date

2008

Description

The CaixaForum Madrid is a new cultural center in the historical center of Madrid, designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. The CaixaForum is a restoration and expansion of an 1899 power station, which is one of the city's few remaining examples of historically significant industrial architecture. The removal of the base of the original building left a covered plaza under the brick shell, which appears to float above the street level. The underground space becomes a theater/auditorium, while the multi-storied building above ground houses galleries, a restaurant and administrative offices. A small plaza is framed by two facades. One consists of Cor-ten steel, built on top of the classified brick wall of the former power station. The other is covered by a vertical garden, designed in collaboration with the botanist Patrick Blanc.

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