The new ABC Center of Drawing and Illustration, by Aranguren & Gallegos Architects, comes with a willingness to be an artistic international reference and a cultural symbol of Madrid. The installation in the old factory building in Amaniel Street has to be a suitable intervention in a historic building without sacrificing the character of expressing a contemporary center with a diverse range of cultural and artistic institutions.
The existing building has a possible dual access from two streets connecting them in an interior court. Before the intervention, one of the entrances was through a longitudinal height body that closed the courtyard. From this front we propose the principal access to the new Center ABC. To achieve this, the mentioned longitudinal body is restructured as a great “girder” of translucent glass that operates as a lintel towards the interior court. Located inside is the cafeteria, and under it, through a glass floor on which you enter the courtyard, the basement of the new center catche the light.
Via: archdaily.com, photos: Jesús Granada