Walking Around In Gran Via and the new Plaza de España, Madrid Spain (4K) (HD)

At over a hundred years old, Gran Vía, in the Sol / Gran Vía area, is one of the city’s main arteries and one of its most iconic avenues. Its construction, between 1910 and 1931, marked the beginning of the modernisation of the city, with the appearance of the country’s first skyscrapers and the adoption of modern architectural trends originating in the United States.

The project was intended to decongest the chaotic centre of the city, formed by a tangle of narrow streets, 22 of which were to disappear. It was carried out in three stages, starting at the point where Gran Vía meets Calle Alcalá. The first stage went as far as Red de San Luis, the second as far as Plaza del Callao and the third up to Plaza de España, each of them reflecting the new architectural styles of the years in which they were completed.

As the project had to respect three religious buildings (the Caballero de Gracia oratory, and the San José and San Francisco de Borja churches, the latter no longer in existence), the line taken by the avenue was less regular than originally planned. The result is a magnificent series of buildings, which include some of the city’s best known landmarks: the Metrópolis, the Telefónica building, the Casino, the Capitol building and the Callao cinema.

Madrid’s Gran Vía is more alive and greener than ever before. Having undergone a vast renovation that was completed in 2018, it now boasts wider pavements which are perfect for window shopping and bar hopping as well as a bike lane that goes between Callao and Plaza de España. Designed with cyclists and pedestrians in mind, it has been fitted with new benches, lampposts, traffic lights and a large collection of trees.

As of 22 November, the Plaza de España has been reopened to pedestrians, with some finishing touches still to be carried out at certain points. The tunnel at the Bailén-Ferraz intersection has also been opened to traffic.

After two and a half years of works, this central Madrid square is recovering its splendour to become a new tourist attraction in the city, which is greener, more sustainable and accessible in which the pedestrian becomes the key feature. Located at the end of the Gran Vía, it has been pedestrianised to allow the connection between the valuable public spaces in this area: the Plaza de Oriente, the Sabatini Gardens, the Campo del Moro and Madrid Río, which had been separated up to now.

The new square occupies an area of 70,000 m2 in which all forms of mobility co-exist, with pedestrian and cyclist areas on the surface and traffic being rerouted underground through a tunnel that links Calle Bailén and Calle Ferraz, which is a continuation of the tunnel built in 1990 in front of the Palacio Real. More than 1,100 new trees have been planted and more than three kilometres of cycleways have been implemented and 400 metres of cycle routes in traffic-free areas, as well as extensive children’s play areas.

In addition to the fountain with the popular Monument to Cervantes (work of Rafael Martínez Zapatero and Lorenzo Cullaut Valera, opened in 1915), the square has another two fountains: a newly created one, Fuente del Cielo, made out of makauba marble and inspired by the Madrid sky; and the one known as the Fuente de la Concha or the Birth of Water, previously located in front of Edificio España and which will soon be relocated to in front of the Parish of Santa Teresa and San José, at Number 14, Plaza de España, a beautiful Neo-gothic temple of medieval inspiration.

As a result of the works, important archaeological remains were uncovered and have been integrated in the square so that they can be visited by the public. Therefore, it will be possible to visit the two floors of the Godoy Palace, part of the former Royal Stables, the Sabatini Gardens and the remains of the layout of the former San Gil Barracks. Not only can the remains be visited by citizens and academics, but an archaeological route will also be implemented and an interpretation centre of the monumental cornice will be built to explain and help understand the evolution of the #city close to its roots.

On the other hand, the square is flanked by two of the city’s emblematic skyscrapers: Torre de #Madrid and Edificio #España, which houses the luxury Riu Plaza España hotel, which make up one of the capital’s most interesting #architectural ensembles.

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