July 27, 2017

A stroll around Madrid


Philip Johnson, one of the architects behind the Puerta de Europa towers, is said to have proclaimed, "We must end the right angle if we do not want to die of boredom. The skyscraper is over; we can forget it." He was true to his word in his design of these, the first towers in the world designed at an incline of 15 degrees. 
Inaugurated in 1996, the Puerta de Europa is a pair of 26-story office buildings located at Madrid's northern edge that have become a symbol of the city and are Bankia's operational headquarters. 


Fire was a feared enemy and a common front for many people in Madrid so in 1822, through a private initiative, the owners of houses located within the walls of Madrid chose to constitute a society in which each of the partners was insurer as well as insured. This association created a fund with which damages and effects caused by the fires could be repaired. This is how the Mutual Fire Insurance Society of Casas de Madrid emerged. 
Houses were identified with the sign: "Asegurada de Incendios"


BiciMAD a new means of public transport in the city of Madrid, offers a self-catering rental service with electric bikes which are practical, simple and ecological.


A little Guardian angel is always welcome.


Hidden among fashionable brand stores in the Salamanca neighbourhood, this food market has provided the locals with fresh food and delicatessen products for more than 130 years. People come here to shop seafood, meet, cheese, fruit and much more.


A peep through the gate into the gardens where I celebrated my 40th birthday in style!
 The building was designed in 1912 by architect Joaquín Rojí López-Calvo and built from 1914 to 1917 as a mansion for the Marquises of Amboage. It was purchased by the Italian Government in 1939 to become the Italian Embassy in Madrid also known as Palacio de Amboage.


What used to be the mythical Teatre Beatriz inaugurated in 1925 then transformed into a restaurant by Philippe Starck in 1990 has now become a trendy retailer with a rather impressive design overhaul. 
When modernisation kills tradition...


Wondering what's behind these doors?


Off to a serious shopping spree at Plaza Norte, one of the largest shopping malls in Madrid, located to the north of the city. The interior has the feel of an 18th century palace to it, boasting Venetian-style lighting in the form of lamps and large chandeliers, marble floors, columns, staircases and balconies, and lapis lazuli obelisks. The effect is an intriguing mix of present-day modern technology combined with the gracious elegance of past eras. It won the prestigious 'Architect of the Year Award' at the 5th Central & Eastern European Real Estate Quality Awards held in 2008.

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