Madrid en construcción, 1940-1985 is a photography exhibition that traces how the capital rebuilt itself between the aftermath of the Civil War and the mid-1980s, using archive images rather than a single narrative voice to carry the story. It runs at Sala Cristóbal Portillo, inside the El Águila cultural complex near Madrid Río.
What it is
The exhibition draws on photographers Juan Pando Barrero, Otto Wunderlich and Martín Santos Yubero, whose images span four decades of construction, demolition and expansion across the city. The sequence moves from wartime rubble and postwar shortages through the accelerated building of the Franco years, taking in landmarks such as the Santiago Bernabéu stadium and the Torres Blancas tower alongside the informal settlements that grew on the city's edges.
Curated by Carolina Aguado Serrano and Guillermo Enríquez de Salamanca González, the show draws its images from institutional archives, including the IPCE, the Archivo Regional de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid's history museum and the EFE news agency. The result reads as a record of a city caught mid-transformation, with individual photographs capturing sites at the point between demolition and construction.
Why it's worth attending
Madrid en construcción, 1940-1985 covers a period, from postwar reconstruction to the early democratic era, that gets less exhibition space than either the pre-war city or contemporary Madrid. Pulling together material from four separate archives in one show also means access to images that aren't normally displayed side by side. The exhibition runs for over three months, long enough to fit around other Madrid Río or Arganzuela plans.
Practical info
Free guided visits are available and require registration through actividadespatrimoniocm.es rather than at the door. The exhibition hall sits inside the wider El Águila complex, a former brewery building, with step-free access from the main entrance. Metro Delicias, on lines 3 and 6, is the nearest stop.
FAQ
Is Madrid en construcción, 1940-1985 free to visit?
Yes, admission to the exhibition at Sala Cristóbal Portillo de El Águila is free, with entry subject to the room's capacity rather than ticketed access.
What period does the Madrid en construcción exhibition cover?
The show covers 1940 to 1985, tracing Madrid's rebuilding from postwar reconstruction through the Franco-era construction boom and into the early democratic period, using photographs from four institutional archives.
Which photographers are featured in Madrid en construcción, 1940-1985?
The exhibition draws on work by Juan Pando Barrero, Otto Wunderlich and Martín Santos Yubero, alongside images sourced from the IPCE, the Archivo Regional de la Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid's history museum and the EFE agency.
Where is Sala Cristóbal Portillo de El Águila?
The exhibition hall is at Calle Ramírez de Prado 3, inside the El Águila cultural complex in the Arganzuela district, a short walk from Metro Delicias.
Are guided visits available for Madrid en construcción, 1940-1985?
Yes, free guided visits run alongside the exhibition, though they require advance registration through the Comunidad de Madrid's heritage activities site rather than general walk-in access.
