Today we are going to focus on a building surrounded by controversy since its construction: The social housing El Ruedo, located in the third M-30 ring road of Madrid. Between Félix Rodríguez de la Fuente streets and Doctor García Tapia avenue, in the Moratalaz district.

For its construction, the Department of Territorial Planning, Environment and Housing of the Community of Madrid called a restricted competition in 1986. There were many conditions, its location next to a high-capacity road: the M-30, which causes a lot of noise and creates a linear physical barrier. In addition, the General Urban Design Plan established the characteristics of the complex to be built, shape and size. The shape had to be curvilinear, coiled on itself and the size had to be 600 meters long and eight stories high.

The only one of the proposals that in its project respected the premises established by the Plan, was that of Saenz de Oiza, who was chosen for construction in June 1986.

Saenz de Oiza conceived El Ruedo as a great wall that provides a powerful feeling of isolation and protection, and that fulfills that function, isolating the interior from the noise of the M30. This has earned it a lot of criticism, even comparing it to a prison, due to its appearance, its enormous size and its small openings (to the outside, which correspond to non-living areas, bathrooms and clotheslines).

The inner face of the wall is very different, bright and multicolored, it is the living space.

Protected by the wall that represents the houses and taking advantage of its spiral-shaped development, a green area was created in the center, an open-air public space protected from the outside, it has a pond, a fountain, a play area for children. children, pergolas and walks.

The homes were used to relocate families who came from shanty towns such as Pozo del Huevo and Pozo del Tío Raimundo. We cannot forget that during the 80s and even much later - some enclaves still exist today - the existence of these shanty towns was a big problem in Madrid. A problem of health, coexistence, of a social nature and that favored the exclusion of those who lived there.

It is certainly not a pretty building, but it solves several problems and again Saenz de Oiza He left his mark on Madrid, the city where he lived and worked for so many years. We also have to ask architecture and architects for functionality, to solve problems, for livable houses and to protect us from the outside, from the weather, from noise...

A abrazo.