An abandoned industrial building originally built in 1905 is currently undergoing a revitalization project to become a new office building for Acciona, a Spanish sustainable infrastructure and energy company. The Madrid-based building is being designed by Foster + Partners and will include over 107,000-sf of new office space and a unique mix of private and public land with green landscaping.
The building was originally built as a natural gas plan that supplied energy to the surrounding areas and had fallen into disuse until Acciona acquired it in 2017. The project will introduce a series of stepped floors that create terraces sheltered under the historic roof.
The lightweight structure will be made from timber sustainably sourced from local forests. It will allow for spatial flexibility while also integrating lighting, ventilation, and other services within. The timber structure will save over 1,000 tons of CO2 and is recyclable and demountable. A central skylight will bring natural light into the building’s interior, reducing the need for artificial lighting. Silicon plates that generate electricity will also be incorporated.
The project will include a new courtyard (within which is a new ground floor space with a garden roof) that leads to a large 100,000-sf+ park with 300 trees, outdoor working spaces, and areas for informal meetings.
The project is currently under construction.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | May 6, 2015
Parks in the sky? Subterranean bike paths? Meet the livable city, designed in 3D
Today’s great cities must be resilient—and open—to many things, including the influx of humanity, writes Gensler co-CEO Andy Cohen.
Building Owners | May 6, 2015
Hackathons and RFCs: Why one developer killed the RFP
In lieu of an RFP process, Skanska Commercial Development hosted a three-week "hackathon" to find an architect for its 2&U tower in Seattle.
Office Buildings | May 6, 2015
Is the office lobby the workplace of the future?
Perkins+Will's Tony Layne discusses three key trends driving the shift to workplaces that offer greater flexibility and choice for employees.
Mixed-Use | May 5, 2015
Miami ‘innovation district’ will have 6.5 million sf of dense, walkable space
Designing a neighborhood from the ground-up, developers aim to create a dense, walkable district that fulfills what is lacking from Miami’s current auto-dependent layout.
Codes and Standards | May 1, 2015
New energy efficiency program, Tenant Star, gets OK from Congress
The voluntary program for commercial and government buildings is modeled after Energy Star.
High-rise Construction | Apr 30, 2015
World Trade Center developer looks to Bjarke Ingels for new tower design
Norman Foster’s design for 2 World Trade Center may be ousted, as developers are currently negotiating with Danish firm BIG to redesign the original scheme.
Office Buildings | Apr 30, 2015
U.S. office construction is approaching historic levels again
An estimated 108 million sf of office space were under construction in the U.S. at the end of the first quarter, a 17% gain over the same period a year ago, according to CoStar.
Wood | Apr 26, 2015
Building wood towers: How high is up for timber structures?
The recent push for larger and taller wood structures may seem like an architectural fad. But Building Teams around the world are starting to use more large-scale structural wood systems.
Green | Apr 22, 2015
GSA's Federal Center South Building honored with AIA Top Ten Plus Award for 'verified' sustainable performance
The annual award recognizes green building projects that have quantifiable metrics demonstrating the performance and positive impact of the sustainable design.
Office Buildings | Apr 21, 2015
Stop the endless debate over open vs. closed work environments
Rather than be confused by the constant stream of opinions, leadership teams contemplating workplace investments should start with powerful employee engagement strategies that drive results.
