How cool is this building?

Caixaforum is an art gallery and cultural center in Madrid, that I passed by today while taking photos of our neighborhood. In 2008 the architects Herzog and de Meuron coverted an 1899 power station, literally lifted it off the ground to create a covered plaza underneath. The higher levels of the structure are sculpted to reflect the roofscape of the surrounding buildings.

Gorg.

I love how the narrow adjacent streets are framed by the low
ceiling and fountain area below.

A vertical garden compliments the plaza in the entrance area,
reminiscent of the botanical gardens just on the other side
of the Paseo del Prado

An image of the original 1899 power station from Arcspace

 When you're standing in the covered plaza, the sensation of the amount of weight hanging over your head is unbelievable. The sides of the building literally appear to have no support. We didn't go inside the building this time but there are usually exhibitions and programming curated to promote cultural understanding. Read more about the Caixa Foundation here.