PLAZA DE ESPAÑA: THE REMODELLING IS IN YOUR HANDS!

Madridslider
9 Feb, 2017
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PLAZA DE ESPAÑA: THE REMODELLING IS IN YOUR HANDS!

Partial view of Plaza de España as projected by “Welcome Mother Nature”

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by Rose Maramba

Plaza de España according to “A Walk Along the Ledge”

In case you still don’t know, the iconic Plaza de España without which Madrid won’t be Madrid is about to get not just a facelift but a comprehensive revamp. The municipal government is calling the historic project remodelación (remodelling).

These you should know by now if you’re a native Madrileño or a resident alien in love with the vibrant capital of the Kingdom of Spain (so why we’re ticking them off for you is a dumb riddle to us):

  • The Plaza de España is at the western end of Gran Via, thereby forming part of the commercial-touristic nerve center of the city.

    Plaza de España as of today. Left, Torre de Madrid; center, monument of Cervantes and his Don Quixote; right, Edificio de España

  • It is the largest plaza in Spain.
  • It is surrounded by three historically significant edifices: two of Madrid’s first skyscrapers (Edificio España and Torre de Madrid) and, just a little way off, the Royal Palace.
  • In 1808 it was one of the gory scenes of execution by the French firing squad of the heroic Madrileños who rose up against the unpopular (and thankfully short-lived) French rule.

But we quite understand if you didn’t know enough, or anything at all, about the remodelación; there’s scarcely been effective information and publicity campaign!

More than seventy projects have been submitted by internationally acclaimed foreign architects as well as the Madrid citizenry for the revamp of the Plaza, five of which were picked out as semi-finalists. Today the two finalists are Projext X: “Welcome Mother Nature,” and Project Y: “Un Paseo por La Cornisa (A Walk Along the Ledge).”

Another projection of Plaza de España by “Welcome Mother Nature.” Note the Royal Palace in the background

Now, you wouldn’t want to be left out of the history-in-the-making nor would you want to pass up the chance to give your civic-mindedness a much-needed muscle-stretch, would you? Go out and vote. Tell the City Hall what kind of Plaza you’d like to have. The ballot count is binding on the municipal government.

Hurry, bone up on the project. The final voting is upon us: between 13 and 19 February (2017)!

Go to www.decidemadrid.es and  https://www.facebook.com/DecideMadrid/

One day (soon?), as you stroll down the new Plaza España, you can proudly tell yourself you helped make it into what it has become – hopefully so much better, a humane, more user-friendly and sustainable park that, on the other hand, will have retained its marvelous Madrileño character!

 

Images
Featured image: Plaza España, “Welcome Mother Nature”/Decide Madrid
Plaza España, “Walk Along the Ledge”/Decide Madrid
Current Plaza España/Carlos Delgado, CC BY-SA3.0
Plaza España, “Welcome Mother Nature”/Decide Madrid
Vota/Decide Madrid Facebook

 

UPDATE: Opinion poll and results: https://decide.madrid.es/proceso/plaza-espana-resultados

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