Salon de Pinos was opened in 2010. It is the project’s backbone, designed
as a linear open space along the River Manzanares, which
links existing and new urban green spaces. The theme for almost
the entire area of the tunnel cover is the vegetation from the mountain
region close to Madrid. Pine was chosen as the dominant species and 8,000
specimens of this resilient tree which thrives on were rock planted. The
choreography of tree planting, using a pallet of pruned and shaped specimens
as well as mixed and sloped planting, lent the site a natural and
sculptural character, and created a botanical monument.
Recently completed bridges link the Salon with the site of the proposed
Arganzuela Park. In contrast to other footbridges, the two parallel
bridges “Puentes cascara” provide a shady space above the cool waters
of the river, and they offer views to the city. The bridges are shaped like
rough concrete domes with more than 100 thin steel cables supporting
their decks. The filigree detailing of the interior is only visible on the inside.
The dome-like superstructures are clad in a mosaic by the Spanish
artist Daniel Canogar.The bridges are more than a part of the infrastructure
– they are design elements in the park.
Water is the theme of Arganzuela Park,which will constitute the largest
section of the project covering 40 hectares. In contrast to the canalised river
flowing deep and unreachable in its engineered bed, the park takes up
the different moods of the landscapes on the Manzanares and lets visitors
experience the element water.A system of streams flows through the park,
and the topography is used to define spaces of different characters at their
junctions. Each stream has a different character: “Rio seco”, for example,
is an interpretation of dry riverbeds in the Spanish landscape, where the
presence of water can be felt in all seasons. Numerous plant species help
to structure the space and evoke different moods.
The last sections to be implemented are the hedge gardens near the
historic Toledo Bridge, Arganzuela Park and Virgen del Puerto in the
north. The contract programme will end with their punctual opening in
April 2011, immediately before the mayor’s elections.This begs the question
of what the voters might think of the politics of construction in
these crisis-ridden times and how future generations will perceive the
implemented measures.