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
-
How Leigh Bowery and the Blitz Kids defined 1980s subculture with make-upAs Leigh Bowery and the Blitz Kids of 1980s London are celebrated in a new exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Isobel Van Dyke explores the hair and make-up looks that defined them
-
For A/W 2024, the working uniform gets a futuristic spinSculpted silhouettes, unexpected textures and plays on classic outerwear meet in the A/W 2024 collections, providing a twisted new take on city dressing
-
Neri & Hu’s dynamic New Bund theatre takes centre stage in Shanghai’s cityscapeIn Shanghai, Neri & Hu’s New Bund 31 Performing Arts Center is a theatre offering a contemporary take on a classical archetype
-
A new exhibition marks Chandigarh’s modernist legacy‘Celebrating the Capitol’, an exhibition of photographic work by architect Noor Dasmesh Singh, opens just in time for the famed modernist Indian city’s anniversary
-
Bodegas Faustino Winery celebrates process through its versatile vaulted visitor centreBodegas Faustino Winery completes extension by Foster + Partners in Spain, marking a new chapter to the long-standing history between the architecture practice and their client
-
Playball Studio's architecture balances the organic and the technicalPlayball Studio, a young Indo-Spanish design practice, features in the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024
-
In Palma, beloved watch boutique Relojeria Alemana gets a dramatic revampEdificio RA for Relojeria Alemana has been redesigned by OHLAB, refreshing a historical landmark in Palma, Mallorca with a 21st-century twist
-
Santiago Bernabéu stadium redesign: a sneak peek into the worksWe take a tour of the Santiago Bernabéu stadium in Madrid, as the beloved sports facility is being given a refresh
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globeModernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; here, we explore the genre by continent
-
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
-
We visit Villa Baizeau in Tunisia, Le Corbusier’s only project in AfricaWe explore Villa Baizeau in Tunisia, Le Corbusier’s only project in Africa, through an exhibition on the project at Tunis gallery 32bis
