2024 Workshop – In Praise of Shadows: Towers of Madrid Nuevo Norte / Alison Brooks
Cover image by students Ucha, Gouda and Abbassi.
Workshop Leader: Alison Brooks
Assistant: Carlos Chauca
Date: 03rd to 07th of june
In the 21st century, urban development in Europe’s metropolitan centres is increasingly reliant on the tower typology to fund the economic model. High-density residential developments reflect the cost of purchasing the land, its decontamination, installing water and energy infrastructure, and critically, to fund the social, economic, cultural and ecological infrastructure of new neighbourhoods. Housing density in the form of tall buildings is therefore required to ensure new developments can support the health, well-being and economic and ecological sustainability of its new communities. Ultimately the development must also generate a financial return to the project investors (banks, insurance companies, pension funds).
Density, or tall buildings, is therefore a pre-requisite of new metropolitan neighbourhoods. In this Workshop, our task is to re-imagine the residential tower so that it is liveable, generous, and welcoming of shade and darkness; attuned to the climate of Madrid. Your seven tower schemes will evolve the qualities of the city’s finest ‘street architecture’ to find new form and expression, giving darkness and light equal consideration.
Image by students of MCH
About the assignment
Madrid Nuevo Norte is an ambitious urban development project that aims to transform the northern part of Madrid into a modern, sustainable and connected district. Covering an area of approximately 2.3 million square metres (or 3.3 million square metres including the area covered by the railway tracks), it is one of the largest urban regeneration initiatives in Europe. The project aims to revitalise the areas around Chamartín station and improve Madrid’s infrastructure, economy and quality of life.
At the heart of Madrid Nuevo Norte is the creation of a new financial district, together with extensive residential, commercial and green areas. The development will include 1 million square meters of residential use, representing 10,500 new housing units, 20% of which will be affordable. Offices will occupy 1.6 million square meters. Finally, green spaces and parks will occupy more than 400,000 square meters, promoting environmental sustainability and improving the well-being of residents.
Image by students D. Christensen, Ferré and Patel
Transport and connectivity are key, with plans to modernise Chamartín station, integrate new metro lines and improve road networks to reduce congestion and improve accessibility. The project also emphasise smart city solutions, incorporating advanced technologies to ensure efficient energy use, waste management and urban mobility.
Madrid Nuevo Norte, which will be developed in several phases, aims to become a model for 21st century urban planning, promoting economic growth, social inclusion and environmental protection in Madrid.
Each group will be assigned a plot of land in the surroundings of the new park considered in the MNN master plan, where they will develop a multi-programmatic architectural design, including collective housing, services, recreational areas, among others, always trying to rescue architectural values of the city as well as new ideas to revitalize the area.
Axonometric and section by students Akins, T. Christensen and Maldonado
