Refurbishment work continues on historic building for Acciona in Madrid by Foster + Partners

Acciona

Construction on a new office building for Acciona, the Spanish sustainable infrastructure and energy company, is in full swing. The project seeks to revitalise an abandoned old industrial building built in 1905, creating a sustainable exemplar for building reuse and breathing new life into the surrounding area. With over 10,000 square-metres of new office space, the project will unify a unique mix of private and public land with green landscaping that extends all the way to the adjoining Méndez Álvaro metro station.

Originally built as a natural gas plant that supplied energy to the surrounding areas, the building had fallen into disuse until Acciona acquired it in 2017. The new proposals will conserve over 10,000 tonnes of brick, rehabilitating the building envelope and the soaring interior volume. The introduction of a series of stepped floors creates terraces sheltered under the historic roof. Made from timber sustainably sourced from local forests, the lightweight structure allows for spatial flexibility, while also integrating lighting, ventilation and other services within.

The timber structure will save more than 1,000 tonnes of CO2 and is recyclable and demountable. A central skylight brings natural light to the interior, reducing the need for energy consuming artificial light while also incorporating silicon plates that generate electricity. The choice of natural and recycled materials such as timber is not only sustainable but also contributes to a biophilic environment. Recent studies have shown that the use of natural materials in working environments improves wellbeing and productivity.

The building is located inside Madrid’s Calle 30 (orbital motorway) with direct access to public transport. Taking advantage of Madrid’s temperate climate, where people can comfortably be outdoors for nine months of the year, the project includes a new courtyard within which is a new ground floor space with a garden roof. This leads to a large 10,000 square-metre park with 300 trees with outdoor working spaces and areas for informal meetings sheltered by a green canopy of trees. Local species have been carefully selected to reduce water consumption, which will come from recycled sources. Source by Foster + Partners.

  • Location: Madrid, Spain
  • Architect: Foster + Partners
  • Design Team: Nigel Dancey, Taba Rasti, Pablo Urango, Emilio Ortiz Zaforas, Lucas Mazarrasa Chavari, Alfonso Aracil Sánchez, Sergio Canas Vadillo, Eduardo Cilleruelo, Alex Duro López, Miguel García Jiménez, Cesidio García del Río, María Soriano Rementería, Chris Trott, Arpan Bakshi, María de Miguel Garrido, Julia Pérez Torres, Martha Tsigkari, Sherif Tarabishy, Stamatios Psarras, Irene Gallou, Carlos Bausa Martínez, Byron Mardas, Alessandro Ranaldi, Martin Glover, Sarah Villar-Furniss, Luke Herring, Valeria de Giuli, Giulia Zanotti
  • Collaborating Architect: Ortiz León arquitectos
  • Main Contractor: Acciona Construcción
  • Structural Consultant: Acciona Ingeniería
  • Mechanical Engineers: JG ingenieros
  • Landscape Consultant: K8 Paisajismo
  • Lighting Engineers: Artec 3
  • Timber structure: Enmadera (Miguel Nevado)
  • Facade: ENAR (Envolventes Arquitectónicas)
  • Acoustics: Margarida
  • Planning Consultant: Addient
  • Traffic consultant: Clothos + Vectio
  • Client: Acciona Inmobiliaria
  • Site Area: 15266 m2
  • Area (Gross): 19500 m2
  • Images: Courtesy of Foster + Partners

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *