Page 115 - 360.revista de Alta Velocidad - Nº 6

South Madrid and High Speed. An example of symbiosis

pitiless demolished, in many cases to make room for buildings of an uttermost mediocrity. The
latter was one of the numerous actions that coined – quite unfairly, though‐ the infamous verb
‘brusselization’ as a synonym of speculative, disrespectful and careless urban development.

Figures 31‐32 Euston Station, demolished in 1961‐1962. Les Halles, Paris, demolished in 1971.
Source: Wikipedia.

Figure 33. Maison du people, Brussels, by Victor Horta, Figure 34. Penn Station. New York City, demolished in
demolished in 1965. Source http://www.ianthearchitect.org 1963. Source: Wikipedia

In summary: some of the best achievements of the
Enlightenment and the industrial architecture of
the 19th century were not only deteriorated but
also seriously threatened.
A token of how undervalued was the area on the
mid 20th century is a picture of 1960 by Antonio
López. A couple of lovers in the middle of a
desolate square describe the state of dereliction
of Atocha area. The road bridge built eight years
later worsened the scenario.

The first Madrid catalogue of heritage‐listed
buildings in 1974 settled the first conditions for heritage
preservation. The arrival of democracy and a growing
public concern for cultural values implemented new
Figure 35: Antonio López 1960 Painting ‘Atocha.
Source: www.diariolibre.com conditions that favoured from the early 80’s the use and
refurbishment of historic buildings. The process was
sustained, supported by adequate political decisions.

International Congress on High-speed Rail: Technologies and Long Term Impacts - Ciudad Real (Spain) - 25th anniversary Madrid-Sevilla corridor 113