josé manuel sanz arcquitectos networks madrid with tourist pavilions

josé manuel sanz arcquitectos and irene brea’s latest collaborative project provides madrid with a network of tourist information pavilions — each situated within the most cultural and commercial points of the city. they include plaza del callao, paseo de recoletos, museo del prado, museo nacional reina sofía and paseo de la castellana avenue. designed as special pieces within madrid’s urban fabric, these five small pavilions offer visitors information as well as different touristic products (ticketing, maps etc… ).

madrid tourist information pavilion, installed next to reina sofía museum
image © josé javier cullen

josé manuel sanz arcquitectos and irene brea have designed the installations with three different ‘attention points’, where services are offered to visitors. as a result, the pavilion takes the shape of a clover plant — offering the biggest possible perimeter and various functional spaces. for example, the particular geometry of the structure creates an angular roof that can be split into two planes; this provides indispensable shaded areas during rainy or hot days.

close up view
image © josé javier cullen

taking into account the visual city structure, the installations were created following the principles of transparency and visual accessibility. given how the entire facade is made of glass panels, workers inside the attention point can feel as if they are part of the outdoors — offering visual comfort and eliminating any claustrophobic tendencies.

pavilions were prefabricated, mounted and assembled in a short period of time — the base being a group of metallic tubes screwed together. the remaining elements were either directly fixed to the main structure or to different sub-structure attached to the base. the support on the ground is adjustable, thus allowing the installation to be adaptable to different areas. finally, rain water can be collected on the roof and conducted to a tube within the attention points –leading it back to the streets. 

evening: tourist pavilion located at paseo de recoletos
image © josé javier cullen

daytime: paseo de recoletos information center
image © josé javier cullen

interior view of the activity point, where services are offered
image © josé javier cullen

attention point with visitors
image © josé javier cullen

at nighttime, the structure is illuminated
image © josé javier cullen

interior of the pavilion lit up
image © josé javier cullen

 structural plan
image © josé manuel sanz architects

constructive sections
image © josé manuel sanz architects

plan and elevation of the pavilion
image © josé manuel sanz architects

project info:

architects: josé manuel sanz architects + irene brea


location: madrid, spain


architect in charge: josé manuel sanz

project team: irene brea martínez, leticia llansó garcía, luisa santamaría gallardo


technical project manager: irene brea martínez, leticia llansó garcía, jaime sanz de haro, javier vila navarro


site manager: juan antonio santuy


client: madrid-destino, ayuntamiento de madrid


contractor: olprim grupo olmar

project year: 2016

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