Caja Madrid Obelisk
Encyclopedia
The Caja Madrid Obelisk is a monument designed by Santiago Calatrava
located in the Plaza de Castilla
in Madrid
, Spain
. It was donated by the bank Caja Madrid
to the city.
According to the initial project, the work would measure 120 meters tall. However, the complex network of underground tunnels that pass underneath the Plaza de Castilla made this original project unworkable, because of its weight. A decision was therefore made to lower the height to 92 metres.
In early October 2007, the Caja contracted construction company Acciona
to carry out the project, and in July of the following year building work began, having dismantled the fountain which existed previously at the selected spot. After several delays, the obelisk was officially opened on December 23, 2009 by his majesty Juan Carlos I.
, built in 1938 in Târgu Jiu
(Oltenia, Romania).
The inner core of the work, 92 meters high, is a cylindrical metal shaft of equal length and 2 meters in diameter, which rests on three metal legs. These, which weigh 50 tons each, are based in turn on three concrete piles 80 inches in diameter and 26 meters long. Instead of supporting the mast directly above its long axis, it was decided to do it this way to not make extreme demands on pre-existing tunnel at the site.
By fixing shaft through joints, 462 ribs and 462 bronze strips 7.70 meters in length, lining the entire obelisk. These strips have a tilting movement transmitted through the ribs, giving the appearance of an outwardly moving wave of ascension along the spine.
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava Valls is a Spanish architect, sculptor and structural engineer whose principal office is in Zürich, Switzerland. Classed now among the elite designers of the world, he has offices in Zürich, Paris, Valencia, and New York City....
located in the Plaza de Castilla
Plaza de Castilla
The Plaza de Castilla is a great plaza in the north of Madrid, Spain.- Situation :It is situated in the north of the city and is bisected by Paseo de la Castellana, one of the main thoroughfares of the capital, almost at its end. It is in the district of Chamartín, and is the hub of the...
in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. It was donated by the bank Caja Madrid
Caja Madrid
Caja Madrid, formally the Caja de Ahorros y Monte de Piedad de Madrid, headquartered in Madrid, is the oldest of the Spanish savings banks. It was founded on December 3, 1702 as Monte de Piedad de Madrid by Francisco Piquer, an Aragonese priest...
to the city.
History
To mark the 300th anniversary of its foundation (1702-2002), Caja Madrid commissioned the architect and sculptor Santiago Calatrava to design a monument that would be donated to the Villa de Madrid.According to the initial project, the work would measure 120 meters tall. However, the complex network of underground tunnels that pass underneath the Plaza de Castilla made this original project unworkable, because of its weight. A decision was therefore made to lower the height to 92 metres.
In early October 2007, the Caja contracted construction company Acciona
Acciona
Acciona, S.A., is a Spanish conglomerate group dedicated to civil engineering, construction and infrastructure.The company was founded in 1997 through the merger of Entrecanales y Tavora and Cubiertas y MZOV. The company's headquarters is in Alcobendas, Community of Madrid, Spain. The company's U.S...
to carry out the project, and in July of the following year building work began, having dismantled the fountain which existed previously at the selected spot. After several delays, the obelisk was officially opened on December 23, 2009 by his majesty Juan Carlos I.
Description
Caja Madrid decided to call the Obelisk construction of the Fund, although given the way pyramid of such a monument, not an obelisk itself. In fact, its design is inspired by the Column of Infinity, a work of 29.33 meters in height by Romanian sculptor Constantin BrâncuşiConstantin Brancusi
Constantin Brâncuşi was a Romanian-born sculptor who made his career in France. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris...
, built in 1938 in Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu
Târgu Jiu is the capital of Gorj County, Oltenia, Romania. It is situated on the Southern Sub-Carpathians, on the banks of the river Jiu. Eight villages are administered by the city: Bârseşti, Drăgoeni, Iezureni, Polata, Preajba Mare, Româneşti, Slobozia and Ursaţi.-History:The city takes its name...
(Oltenia, Romania).
The inner core of the work, 92 meters high, is a cylindrical metal shaft of equal length and 2 meters in diameter, which rests on three metal legs. These, which weigh 50 tons each, are based in turn on three concrete piles 80 inches in diameter and 26 meters long. Instead of supporting the mast directly above its long axis, it was decided to do it this way to not make extreme demands on pre-existing tunnel at the site.
By fixing shaft through joints, 462 ribs and 462 bronze strips 7.70 meters in length, lining the entire obelisk. These strips have a tilting movement transmitted through the ribs, giving the appearance of an outwardly moving wave of ascension along the spine.