Madrid Rio. A New Urban Ecology
T
he project has
received the American
Architecture Prize in
the Public Landscape
Architecture category
The American Architecture
Prize recognizes works of
architecture, interior and
landscape design which
stand out for their excellence,
innovative and functional
design. The award-winning
projects are characterized for
their positive contribution to the
spaces we inhabit, for inspiring
current users and lasting for
future generations. Such is the
case of Madrid Rio, a complex
intervention at the heart of the
city of Madrid.
In 2003, Madrid Council decided
to build a tunnel for a stretch of
the main ring road [M30] around
the city, which ran along the
banks of the Manzanares River
for 8 km. When constructed
30 years ago, this road caused
the disappearance of the links
between the city and its river,
making the river isolated,
inaccessible and invisible. As
a result of the construction of
these tunnels, an enormous
space opened up in the heart of
Madrid.
The Madrid Río (Madrid
River) project is the result of
winning the First Prize in the
international competition which
Landscape & Urban Design
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