CaixaForum Madrid
La CaixaForum is a museum, auditorium and conference center in the Spanish capital Madrid.
Location
Opened in 2008, CaixaForum is located in the heart of Madrid, on the grounds of the former power station, the Central Eléctrica del Mediodía close to the Prado and Reina Sofia in the zone of the Golden Triangle del Arte.
Description
- Client: Fundación la Caixa, Barcelona
- Architect: Herzog & de Meuron Architekten AG, Basel
- Structural engineers: WGG Schnetzer Puskas Ingenieure AG, Basel
- Construction: NB35 Ingeniería, Madrid
- Construction period: 2001-2007
- Cost: 60 million euros
The CaixaForum with an area of 10,000 square meters, is divided into four upper floors, a ground floor covered parking space and two basement levels. The total aboveground building structure stands on the tripod formed by the opening up cores. On the remaining floor area of the building seems to float above the covered parking space surface from which executes a main entrance stairs into the building. The building soffit and the court surface were patterned relief shaped with triangular faces. The roof form with their striking cuts refers to the surrounding roofscape of the old town.
La CaixaForum offers a wide range of activities for the public, by the music and visual arts to social programs, education and humanities. It is a place for discussion, debate and opinion on various topics in today's society.
In addition to around 2,500 m² for exhibitions CaixaForum Madrid has an auditorium with 300 seats, foyer, media and more multifunctional rooms for conferences and other activities. The large lobby, a café, a shop, a bookshop and a restaurant are also available in downtown Madrid. Due to the futuristic combination of metal, copper-colored stone and a vertically planted on the house wall garden by Patrick Blanc, with around 15,000 plants and 250 species of plants, the CaixaForum has become a new tourist attraction to Madrid.
Swell
- La CaixaForum on Artmagazin
- BBC