Solurban
Building
Commercial, cultural
Structural Design
Gran Teatro Príncipe Pío
In 1993, the last train departed from Madrid’s Norte Station. Its main building dates back to an 1861 project by French engineers Biarez, Grasset, and Ouliac, which was completed in the early 20th century. During the Civil War, it suffered severe damage due to its proximity to the front line. It then remained operational until 1976, after which it fell into complete disuse, except for the part that had been converted into a shopping center. This led to a gradual deterioration.
Until the company formed by theater producer Luis Álvarez, Santiago Segura, and José Mota commissioned a rehabilitation project from Eos Arquitectos to transform it into a tertiary-use building. Solurban, for its part, was responsible for the structural works, and Calter for the redesign of the structure.
After conducting an in-depth study of the original project, it was determined that a new structure parallel to the existing one was needed across most of the floor area, along with its foundations. The building is listed as a Monument; therefore, in addition to preserving classical elements such as elevators, ticket booths, the iron lattice roof, balustrades, and cornices, it was necessary to lift and handle large structural pieces at great height with minimal impact. Furthermore, the building is adjacent to underground rail lines and Adif offices where operations could not be interrupted. All of these variables kept increasing the magnitude of the challenge.
Finally, the building was reinaugurated in 2020 as the Gran Teatro Príncipe Pío. The central space had been transformed into a theater with 1,200 seats. The basement is set to become an event hall, and the western tower a restaurant with spectacular views.
The project received the Sika 2018 Award for Best Work.
