The ABC Museum

In the center of Madrid City, hidden between two nineteenth century is found

the drawing and illustratio

n ABC

museum. Aranguren & Gallegos architects made in 2010 the reform of the old brewery, respecting the original building character around a courtyard.

It is striking from distance the contrast with the adjoining buildings produces, built of brick neomudéjar inspiration. Suddenly it appears in front of our eyes, a large white metal lattice, floating over our heads. As you approach, you can feel every detail of the building that invites you to come inside.

You go from the narrow street of industrial origin that is the building, open space, large and contemporary and modern character. The mechanism used to obtain the architectural goal is to create an “empty stress” or a “dihedral space” formed by the horizontal plane of the floor and the vertical one of the old factory.

Both planes formed by triangular panels of steel and glass,

producing a strange feeling between the real and imaginary. This great mass of lighting metal, like a magnet, draws you into the building.

It seems incredible that architectural marvel is hidden from the view of the many citizens who wander in the area without imagining the treasure that lies between those brick walls.

Access from Amaniel Street is solved by a way under a longitudinal element, a translucent beam that hosts the cafeteria. The last action performed on the building is to create a false lantern in the center of Madrid, through the glazing of the original cover.

The interior of the building has six floors, three of them to exhibitions and the rest to private use. On the main floor is a reception, library and reference area, bright with the opening of hole made. The structure remains view, bolted metal pillars stained white decorating the entire room.

The lift leaves you in a plateau with a small balcony that looks into the room.

Unlike conventional exhibitions, entry to this room is from above,

down a ramp with two sections which provides a first top view of the exhibition hall. Allowing to know the distribution and tour of the room before reach it.

Quickly draw attention to the openings of roof, triangular shaped reminds you of something…

Yes, steel and glass panels underfoot in the courtyard, now serve as a hedge with skylights to provide light to this underground area.

We close the circle again taking the elevator to the first floor where the cafeteria is. We’re now on the top of the museum’s main entrance, the large beam translucent.

And it is even more spectacular from the inside.

The old gallery has been treated in connection line to the rest of the project; a white iron lattice surrounds the glazed cafeteria, a sensation of floating above the street. The lattice consists in almost triangular shapes also allows visitors to have a coffee, sitting by a high of four feet above the street, in a bright space that seems to be open to the outside, and thanks to the lattice that covers it, gives the person a certain intimacy that allows them to see without being seen.

In short, the building intended as a reference artistic and architectural, symbol of the cultural offer of Madrid.