News, February 2005

Madrid's skyline burns

14th February. Yesterday, Sunday, the Windsor building, part of Madrid's AZCA skyline and Spanish head office of Deloitte, burnt down in a fire reminiscent of 9/11. The cause is believed to have been a short circuit on the 21st floor. Meanwhile, in Barcelona, hundreds are homeless as tunnelling caused their homes to collapse: see below.

As a result, today, Monday has seen city-wide transport chaos. Key rail and Metro (subway) links are closed, as they run too close to the foundations of the affected building and link together at a station right below. The airport express subway line (nº8) starts at this station. In the street, average speed in much of the city was reduced to 1km/h. dring the rush hour and shoppers and office workers are affected.

The AZCA business district went up between the 1970s to '90s and has some of the most spectacular buildings of the skyline, including the tallest building, Torre Picasso. There is also the largest branch of the department store chain El Corte Inglés. Architects say the Windsor building's construction techniques, as with other buildings from that era, do not comply with more recent legal security requirements.

Barcelona flats collapse as Metro tunnelling method fails

Over recent weeks another example of old and new faulty building techniques are bringing havoc to Spain's cities, has happened in Barcelona's Mount Carmel district. The homes are no high-power business area, but one where folk from poor parts of southern Spain settled after the civil War, first in shacks, later in small houses, finally building 4 storey blocks on the original foundations. With poor structures, these flats, which have been home to hundreds over the past 30 years were quite unable to resist the movements brought about by a cheap but insecure tunnelling method 90 feet below.

The so called Austrian method leaves some parts of the tunnel unprotected as the tunnellers move forward several metres more. Surveys had suggested that the rock formation should resist , but facts have proven to be different!

Now hundreds of low-income families are homeless, housed 'temporarily' in hotels or with relatives. Some may be able to return to their homes, but 3 buildings have now collapsed completely, taking with them the 'memories' of a lifetime, along with more practical objects necessary for everyday life.