A wheel-shaped tower rises out of a “carpet” of low-rise offices and gardens in Herzog and de Meuron’s design for the new Madrid headquarters of BBVA, Spain’s second largest bank. With over 800,000 square feet of office space for 6,500 employees, construction of the building will begin this year on a 22-acre site in the city’s northern suburbs. The project is scheduled for completion in 2013.
In their project brief, the architects describe the complex as an inward-looking “oasis.” A linear structure composed of three-story buildings, alleyways and irrigated gardens is laid over the entire site, following the topography. In the center of this structure, they have cut out a disc-shaped section of the low-slung building and stood it on end to create a 23-story tower that gives the project a presence on Madrid’s skyline. The tower rises from the circular plaza of its original footprint, where the main entry and communal facilities are located.
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