146 Social Housing
Pradolongo is not only the precise resolution of a housing programme but rather, to our way of thinking, a way of making the most of the planning capacity of the constructed volume for the benefit of our city.
The vertex of the site is configured as a crossroad, a confluence of areas that define the decisions concerning the presence and image to be articulated in the urban landscape.
The footprint of the proposed buildings which initially continue the cadence of the nearby constructions as one approaches the vertex of the site, unfold horizontally and vertically until they acquire the condition of an independent vertical element with the capacity to become an urban landmark.
The volumes start to unfold with two blocks, which form two open public spaces, one facing west and the other one east. The four storeys are sized with the idea of modelling the space between them almost like private squares. The linearity of the open block does not exclude the formation of small-scale, private public spaces with an ease of control in which the construction units are immersed creating the gentle private image desired by all residential constructions. A third three-storey unit forms the base of slender, twelve-storey double tower with commanding views towards the park.
The façade planes are constructed in large format coloured precast concrete in which the aluminium cases for the roller blinds are set flush. In the rear walls, the reinforced concrete structure is exposed and edged with opaque and transparent glazing. On the western face, this glass is sheltered from the harsh Madrid sunlight with awnings inserted into the deep terraces.
