Getafe (pop. 173,000) is typical of the ciudades dormitorios (commuter towns) that form a ring around Madrid. Largely residential in nature, they were developed during the industrial boom to provide housing for those that worked in the capital.
Getafe is more attractive than most in so much that it has an historical centre dating from early 1900s. That said, its old covered market was lying in decay for decades, having lost out to the strategies of the supermarket. In October 2015 it came back to life as a mixed use community centre, structurally enhanced and dressed in a new skin by the Madrid-based studio A-cero.
A-cero is one of Spain's leading architecture firms. With an acknowledged influence of Le Corbusier and Mies van der Rohe, it has created dozens of swoopy-walled, showstopper homes for the country's luxury-inclined, also counting Cruz-Bardem amongst its clients. The Mercado de Getafe signifies a different model for A-Cero. 'Here, have learnt that we are capable of transforming an existing building into something radical and eye-catching,' says Joaquín Torres, one of A-cero's two partners.
The programme presented various challenges; salvage the interesting aspects of the original building and make the interior completely functional and adaptable to uses ranging from exhibitions to debates. Aesthetic interventions were confined to the exterior.
Of the old building, which consists of two volumes, two floors, and a basement, the architects retained and reinforced the exterior walls (now painted black), ceramic ceilings, and interior concrete trusses. The rhythm of the trusses has been echoed in the composition of the facade, a sequence of aluminium 'ribs'.
Smaller black panels are irregularly interjected outwards from the ribs and support the building's exterior lighting. On one side, which faces the town's main square, these ribs are interrupted by the abrupt appearance of the market's original entrance and balcony - a stylised reminder of the building's significance as Getafe's community hub.
'The idea was to make the facade as visually pleasing as possible in order to attract people inside,' continues Torres. 'And to present the idea of an old building wrapped inside a new one.'
The neglected old building was given a new lease of life as a mixed use community and culture centre for the city
Of the old building, which consists of two volumes, two floors, and a basement, the architects retained and reinforced the exterior walls (partly painting them black)
Smaller black panels are irregularly interjected outwards from the facade's 'ribs' and support the building's exterior lighting
The structure is presented as 'an old building wrapped inside a new one', and was designed to attract visitors to come inside
The interior will host all sorts of community events and exhibitions
The existing building's ceramic ceilings and interior concrete trusses were also retained during the renovation
At night the community centre beams as a new cultural beacon for the small Spanish city
INFORMATION
For more information on A-cero visit the website
Photography: Ines Molla
-
Utilitarian men’s fashion that will elevate your everydayFrom Prada to Margaret Howell, utilitarian and workwear-inspired men’s fashion gets an upgrade for S/S 2024
-
Gerhard Richter unveils new sculpture at Serpentine SouthGerhard Richter revisits themes of pattern and repetition in ‘Strip-Tower’ at London’s Serpentine South
-
Vipp’s Scandinavian guesthouse offers a sleek setting amid a wild landscapeVipp Cold Hawaii is a Scandinavian guesthouse designed by architecture studio Hahn Lavsen in Denmark’s Thy National Park
-
MOCA is a self-sufficient mobile home offering freedom to work (and roam)MOCA (Mobile Catalyst) is a sustainable mobile home designed by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia, and taking remote working to a new level
-
Low-energy house in Catalonia minimises its footprint to make the most of its siteAlventosa Morell Arquitectes’ low-energy house in Catalonia nestles into the landscape
-
Hortensia Herrero Art Centre puts Valencia on the contemporary art mapHortensia Herrero Art Centre launches in Valencia, offering a home for contemporary art to sit side by side with archaeological treasures
-
Collective, Hong Kong and Spain: Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2023With bases in Hong Kong and Spain, Collective joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
-
Nicolás y Nicolás, Spain and Ecuador: Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023With offices in Spain and Ecuador, Nicolás y Nicolás is part of the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2023, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
-
This light-filled Spanish house is defined by openness and geometryA Spanish house by Arquitecturia Camps Felip is designed around its courtyards and its six volumes’ bold geometry
-
Spain’s Casa Primitiva is ruled by simplicityThe pared-back Casa Primitiva by Hanghar fits in perfectly in its semi-rural Spanish context
-
Architecture for animals leads the way at this school for dogsDetails are designed with dogs in mind at Spain’s Educan School for Dogs, Humans and Other Species
