Project Details

Madrid Rio Landscape Informaiton

Client: Madrid City Government

Design & realization: 2006-11
Size: 80 ha
Construction value: 280 mio euro
Design team: West 8 urban design & landscape architecture
& Mrio Arquitectos
Project management: Gins Garrido Colomero
Background
The Manzanares river disappeared when it was flooded with traffic.
The environmental balance around the river was disrupted.
After the burial of western arch of M-30 motorway, there was a large piece of vacant land around the
river, in the citys heart, with immense potential.
This opportunity to reestablish Madrids environmental balance was seized with both hands.
Vision
Restoration of environmental balance of Madrid.
To connect all the existing green areas.
Making Madrid a sustainable city with a greater quality of life.
To make the banks of Manzanares river a grand Environmental, Sports and Cultural hub.

BEFORE AFTER
Design Principle
Elements
Historic bridges (the Puente
de Segovia and Puente de
Toledo)
The parks bridges both literally and
symbolically celebrate the
connections between different
parts of previously unconnected
portions of the city.
Avenida de Portugal RIVER MANZANARES
The motorway lies at the boundary Flows from sierra de guadarrama passes through madrid
between residential quarters and the Casa 92 km long
de Campo formerly the Spanish kings
hunting grounds
And offers an impressive view to the
historic city centre on the banks of the
Manzanares.
Huerta de la Partida
Execution
The planning management of the project was first sub-divided into two phases.

1. Madrid Calle 30 (Phase 1) to bury the M-30 highway, and

2. Madrid Ro (Phase 2) to treat the area surrounding the river by building parks, playgrounds, infrastructure, and
other facilities.

The cost of the project was 3.9 billion for the Calle 30 Project and 485 million for the Madrid Rio Project. Access to
the park and river was officially opened to the public on 15 April 2011. The park extended to a total area of 1,210,881
meters square, where 33,623 new trees of 47 species, 38 species of shrubs 470,844, and 210,898 meters square of
prairie have been planted.

With regard to the duration of the project, the reform and burial of the M-30 along the Manzanares River was
conducted in the 2003 to 2007 term.
In 2005 the Madrid City Council convened an international ideas competition to recover the space that was freed
from traffic. A draft was submitted by the West 8 urban design and landscape architecture and M-Rio Arquitectos,
which was formed by Burgos & Garrido, Porras & La Casta, Rubio & lvarez-Sala.

, the space where the old road used to be was transformed into a large park that joined El Pardo with the
municipality of Getafe. It is also supposed to connect green zones and historic gardens, and recover use of the river.
Salon de pinos
designed as a linear green space, which links the
existing and newly designed urban spaces with each
other along the Manzanares River. Saln de Pinos is
located almost entirely on top of the motorway tunnel
and features a "choreography" of 8.000-fold pine trees
and a repertoire of cuts.
Puentes Cascara
serving as bridges and iconic landmarks,
Puentes Cascara creates a place where
the river is really experienced. Designed as
a massive concrete dome with a rough
texture.
Avenida de Portugal
by relocating one of the most important
roads into the centre of Madrid underground
and providing underground parking for 1,000
vehicles, it was possible to convert the space
into a garden to benefit local residents.
Embellished with Cherry trees and cherry
motif, the result is the creation of an extremely
popular public space.
Arganzuela Park
the dominant motive is the water. The
canalized river Manzanares is surrounded
by architectonical walls. The system of
streams running through the park will cross
through the topography and merge into
the different spaces and motifs
Huerta de la Partida
the old Royal Palace is now a
modern interpretation of the
original royal orchard and a
wide variety of fruit trees in
planted in groups to create an
enclosed garden
Principles
The idea of the project was to transform one of the most degraded and neglected zones of
the city to become one of the most beautiful, cultural areas with green qualities.

Weave together historic buildings and infrastructure to vegetation at an immense scale.

To convert the Manzanares River from an urban barrier into a meeting place for citizens and a
connection between neighbourhoods and facilities.

Sustainable environment for the city dwellers.

Design Program
sports areas (tennis and basketball courts, soccer fields, fitness areas, rock climbing
center, skate park), greenswards, plazas, cafes and restaurants, an orchard, an
urban beach, childrens play areas, plus 30 kilometers of cycling paths, and 11 new
footbridges.
Projections -
repair and regenerate the city through carefully articulated design interventions