Refurbishment of the Mutua Madrileña offices, Madrid

At the corporate headquarters at No. 33 Paseo de la Castellana: refurbishment of the auditorium; replacement of glass partitions in offices and meeting rooms, and installation of artworks on the chairman’s floor; and construction of a new glass staircase between two floors.

The refurbishment of the auditorium affected the walls, floors, ceilings and lighting. On the company management floor, the glass partitions in offices and meeting rooms were replaced and a series of artworks were installed.

Creating a new staircase that was visually airier, more expressive and allowed natural light into the building’s vertical core was the greatest challenge on this project. It required an exhaustive analysis of structural conditions: those prior to the demolition of the existing staircase, and those necessary to ensure the new design’s viability, including the design of anchoring elements and the study of materials, fixtures and fittings.

Another unique aspect of this refurbishment was that the works had to be done without disrupting operations in certain parts of the building: entrances, car parks, stairs and lifts, and two whole floors. Consequently, we not only had to guarantee the safety of building users, neighbours and the work team itself, but also carefully cordon off the building to keep the areas reserved for ordinary activity separate from the work zones. Moreover, this zoning plan and the access and evacuation routes had to be modified repeatedly as the works progressed.