MEMORY

 

The social club, “Casino de Madrid”, moved to a new building in 1906 through an International Competition to substitute 4 houses on Alcalá Street. After winning the competition, architect Lafarge drew an eclectic building with magnificent spaces, facades and interior covered atrium, a large ballroom and several spaces for representative uses. The quality of spaces, furniture, lighting, doors and ceilings were magnificent. The construction, in a mixes structure of steel and brick for walls and floors, typically of the French style at the beginning of the century, allowed for finishing the building in less than 2 years, opening in 1910.

 

The commission was won by an invitational competition. The rehabilitation was a comprehensive, functional restructuring,

rehabilitation and restoration of building and spaces, maintenance of all original pieces and construction of new spatial spaces

underground and on the roof. New ballrooms, sports and events spaces required to build underground. A full new basement was achieved by excavation, new foundations and spatial treatments for discharging walls were created to allow for openings and spatial continuity. The 3 central stories were fully respected except by the need for new installations and equipment that resulted in lowering the height of the corridors and using original air ducts. The original terrace was changed into an inverse, flat roof with total hidden water conduction. The rehabilitated building of 11.560 m″ includes an expansion of the floor area through mezzanines in the kitchen and service areas and the inclusion of some ventilation patios.

 

Building capacity is for 1.600 visitors and more than 150 employees. Apart from the restoration of paintings, frescos, stuccos, furniture and decoration, the cost was around 1.000 €/m″. The Spanish King and Queen inaugurated the restored Casino in 1992.