Office tower in Méndez Álvaro

The project, winner of a restricted ideas competition organized by Ardian, is the refurbishment of an office tower in the booming Méndez Álvaro district of Madrid. In an area bounded by the railway tracks and the M-30 ring road, GCA Architects unveils a solution with an innovative spirit based on bioclimatic principles and a concept of lightness.

Ardian and GCA Architects are committed to sustainability with a design incorporating the latest technologies to achieve the maximum score in the Leed Platinum, Breeam Excellent, Well Core and Shell, Wiredscore Platinum, Smartscore Gold and Zero Carbon.  The project is based on the user’s well-being, conceiving work in indoor and outdoor spaces and integrating large terraces with abundant vegetation that favor the work of future users.

The ground floor rests on a stone plinth where the lobby is conceived as a meeting space thanks to a tiered seating area connecting with the first floor as an auditorium. The tower is wrapped by a two-story cantilevered body that houses the coworking function.

The interior spaces stand out for their spaciousness and luminosity thanks to their reconfiguration around the new central core, creating more flexible spaces and circulations and incorporating the new paradigms of collaborative work.

The morphology of the project creates large outdoor spaces on the roof of the podium and tower with green areas and a plaza. The program also includes a center with fitness and relaxation areas. The penthouse floor, with 360º views of the entire city, is surrounded by greenery and is protected by a photovoltaic pergola.

The composition of volumes emphasizes the vertical and iconic character of the tower. The design has a system of double-height terraces that rotate as the tower gains levels, connecting the offices with outdoor spaces with abundant vegetation, responding to the parameters of biophilic design.

The building’s image is recognizable by the presence of metal ribs that will form part of the new façade curtain wall and curved glass in the corners for a more friendly dialogue with the other towers in the area. Three materials have been chosen for the proposal: metal, wood, and glass, seeking a chromatic and sensitive balance that reinforces the sobriety and contemporaneity of the design.

The 14-story tower, visible from the train tracks and the southern access highway to the city, will serve as an urban gateway into the heart of Madrid, becoming a new landmark for the growing skyline of the area.