Eleven years after its inauguration, the Madrid City Council has announced a renovation and upgrade plan for the monument to the victims of the March 11 (11-M) terrorist attacks at Atocha Station in Madrid, Spain, as reported by the Spanish newspaper El País.
Designed by Estudio SIC, the monument to the victims of 11-M was inaugurated in 2007, three years after the attacks perpetrated by a terrorist cell on March 11, 2004. The attack consisted of the simultaneous explosion of 10 bombs on four commuter trains, claiming the lives of 193 people and leaving more than 2,000 injured, making it the worst terrorist attack in Spain's history.
As the architects explained at the time, the outer membrane consists of 15,000 solid glass blocks joined by transparent adhesive. In turn, the inner layer consists of a pressurized ETFE membrane. However, in recent years, the monument has suffered severe deterioration. According to the same outlet, in November 2015, the transparent inner membrane bearing messages to the victims collapsed to the ground due to issues with the pressurization system. Furthermore, last February, heavy rains left the monument leaking.
With a budget of around 350,000 euros, the Madrid City Council will begin restoration work in January 2019 through a project that plans changes to the design and lighting. A new membrane will be installed inside, which will keep the messages of condolence but will feature a double-cone shape instead of the current cylinder. The new, more resistant material was selected after several tests to prevent similar deterioration in the future. In addition, the structure will be self-supporting, eliminating the need for fans to keep it inflated day and night, which will lead to significant energy savings.
Regarding the exterior, the outer structure, where leaks have been detected, will be repaired. Meanwhile, following the news of the future renovation of the station by architect Rafael Moneo, victims' associations hope that green spaces will be created and improvements will be made to the public space where the 11-meter-tall glass structure stands.
Via El País.
This article was written by Javier García Librero. The translation is powered by AI.
