Memoria urbana – Madrid

This project consists on the temporary recreation of the Mercado de Olavide at its original place, and in the same size. This Municipal Market was located in the Spanish city of Madrid, in the square of the same name, in the neighborhood of Chamberí.

It was designed by the architect Francisco Javier Ferrero LLUSIA in 1934.
It was a polygonal building, consisting of a series of octagonal prisms that were staggering, finishing in a large central courtyard, which claimed last prism cross ventilation.

The author’s concern for the “new technologies” are evident in the use of pillars and beams of reinforced concrete to save the large spans.
Garaizabal has created and registered the master lines of a monumental iron/light structure, according to the technique and artistical language of the “Memorias Urbanas” global project. Garaizabal has selected a section of the market, the main Entry.

The piece of installation art has an estimated height of 12 meters, and will be a reflection of integrity, which is a characteristic that can be found in buildings as well as people, and just as seldom.
For night time, the installation is equipped with a sophisticated Light System. Based on 24V flexible tube led, it offers an extraordinary look, enriched with music coordinated by a computer.

All the “Memorias Urbanas” are efficient and 100% sustainable Art Events. The metal structure is easily assembled/disassembled to be placed in another definitive spot and the light works with a minimal energy consumption, being all 24V and completely safe. The installations are subject to all technical certificates and all the preparatory works (sketches, pictures, models, writings…) from the artist are shown in simultaneous exhibitions. The Memorias Urbanas project is registered in Berlin by Juan Garaizabal.
The destruction of the market by controlled demolition in 1974, was accompanied by a great controversy between those who believed that its market model was obsolete and the building badly damaged by the passage of time and those who were for its recovery. The Official College of Architects of Madrid was part of the latter.
It was also very controversial the short term that the city notified the merchants the decision to demolish the market and how almost overnight most of the merchants lost their livelihood and much of their rights.
Nowadays, an underground parking and a leafy square can be found at the same place where the market used to be.
Garaizabal believes that the ephemeral reconstruction of the market, on the square it always was, will return to its place not only a work of great architectural value, but also the memories of everyday experiences, for the local residents and for the merchants. Such everyday experiences that give flavor and color to a particular neighborhood.

A neighborhood building with an important added value, thanks to the experiences that have taken place there, experiences of trade and work but also human relations and communication, this kind of building that creates identity.

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