COLÓN 1, NEW REFERENCE FOR MADRID
This representative building, baptized as Axis and located at Colón 1 in Madrid’s central Plaza de Colón, has been designed by the prestigious British architect Norman Foster. The project involved the renovation of the historic Barclays headquarters, acquired by the investment fund GPF Capital.
Inasus executed an innovative facade configured in a diagrid structure of beams that intersect diagonally. The building represents a new landmark for the city – a facade that will provide Madrid with a new identity and benchmark. A new vision of the existing seventies’ structure is established, returning to its essence, and creating a flexible, durable, future-proof building.
The 3,910 m2 building, built in 1971, has a semi-basement, ground floor, and three upper floors. It is located at the intersection of Plaza de Colón with Paseo de Recoletos and Genova Street. This year, the premises will host Caixabank’s future first macro-offices in Madrid. The bank’s flagship store will occupy the building’s four floors entirely, even though initial speculations pointed to its mixed use.
The facade is 20 metres by seven metres high on the Recoletos Street-facing part, and 40 metres by seven metres on the Genova Street-facing part. Axis building facade is transparent, as explained by Foster, to visually guarantee “a greater connection with the square and pedestrians”. It is designed in steel and glass. The building has a central atrium and will be crowned by a glazed terrace as a place for events and celebrations.
