Collectors’ room at the Bank of Spain

About

The intervention by Paredes Pedrosa (site supervision, Álvaro Rábano) in the Collectors’ Room of the Bank of Spain, located at one of the corners of Plaza de Cibeles in Madrid, under what was the operations hall of the original building by Eduardo de Adaro (1891), now a library, involves a subtle, respectful reinterpretation of the space. It establishes a dialogue between two architectural languages that were prevalent in late-19th-century Europe: one of oriental inspiration, and the other the stuff of industrial architectures. Elements like horseshoe arches, taken from the Great Mosque of Córdoba, or the geometrically patterned tiles of Andulusian tradition are integrated into a structure of cast iron, defining the character of the space. The old ceiling of glass blocks, demolished before the renovation, has been reinterpreted by means of artificial lighting that hints at the original skylight and exposes the until-now hidden structure of riveted iron. Four technical columns of polished stainless steel result in reflections that visually prolong the ceramic borders and antique moldings, reinforcing the continuity between past and present in an intervention where memory and modernity go hand in hand.