The rehabilitation of the Espacio Cultural Serrería Belga, a center managed by the Area of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Madrid City Council, has been awarded the COAM +10 award, which is awarded by the Official College of Architects of Madrid to the work of greater architectural quality that is more than ten years old and located within or outside the Community of Madrid.
The work, carried out by the Langarita-Navarro studio (María Langarita and Víctor Navarro), represents recognition of the Madrid City Council and, specifically, the Government Area of Culture, Sports and Tourism, responsible for the main cultural centers of the city , among which is Serrería Belga.
The COAM Awards, presented this Friday, October 6, on the occasion of Architecture Week at the headquarters of the collegiate institution, have as their objective the recognition of quality in architectural work, good professional practice and exemplary initiatives that have contributed to the dissemination of the cultural values of Architecture carried out by architects registered in the COAM.
This year 202 proposals were received, of which the jury highlighted their exemplary nature for their ability to contribute to the dissemination of the values of architecture in society, their innovative approach or their development within the framework of good architectural practices. .
Belga Sawmill, a building with a lot of history
The Serrería Belga Cultural Space is a cultural center of nearly 4,000 m2 that is located on a unique industrial building from the first quarter of the 20th century. Located in a strategic enclave in the cultural environment of the Art Walk and the Barrio de las Letras, it is part of Madrid’s Landscape of Light, recognized as World Heritage by UNESCO since July 25, 2021.
History
Built in several phases since the 1920s by the architect Manuel Álvarez Naya, it is one of the first buildings in Madrid that used exposed reinforced concrete. It has a structure of slabs, beams and pillars with formwork of very strong wooden slats that, together with its classicist façade, maintains a strong industrial character.
The process for the rehabilitation of the building began in 2006 with the public tender called by the Madrid City Council with the collaboration of COAM and concluded in 2012. The work carried out is part of a contemporary intervention format that goes beyond the conventional concept of rehabilitation. Thus, the proposal is constructed as a dialogue between two differentiated entities: “La Serrería” and “La Cosa”, the device that connects both ships.
About to turn 99 years old and, after a profound program of reorganization and fine-tuning coinciding with the tenth anniversary of its comprehensive rehabilitation, the Serrería Belga Cultural Space is experiencing a new stage as a municipal reference in the cultural environment of the Paseo del Arte and the Neighborhood of the letters.
In addition to this recognition, the work carried out by Langarita-Navarro has been awarded the prize of the the exemplary rehabilitation that has turned this building into an example of intervention in architectural and industrial heritage.
