The Hive is a personal project dedicated to residential architecture in Madrid. The idea behind this personal project revolves around the concept of people and their life activity: living. Considering that the majority of housing in large cities is vertically distributed, I wanted this project to serve as a visual journey through the facades of Madrid.
The title is nothing more than a metaphor around the idea of gathering the largest number of living beings in the smallest possible space. Just as bees gather and live in a hive, human beings develop their life stories around residential buildings. However, there are many residential buildings, especially in a city like Madrid, so the selection is not necessarily based on their architectural importance or construction advancements, but purely on their visual design and distribution, the aesthetics of the spaces that surround us.
Architecture, as the Mexican poet Octavio Paz said, is the incorruptible witness of history because one cannot speak of a great building without recognizing in it the witness of an era, its culture, society, and intentions. With this approach, the project serves as a visual exploration of the evolution of human life over the past 200 years through the perspective of residential architecture.
It is important to emphasize that this is a photographic project, not a project about history or architecture, so it avoids explaining architectural elements of the buildings since the focus is on their social value.
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1. Six residential buildings for Mr. Celonio de Val - Goya District.
Year of construction 1882.
Alcalá Street 80.
Architect - Emilio Rodríguez Ayuso.
2. Residential properties for the Dukes of Prim - Recoletos District.
Year of construction 1889.
Serrano Street 1.
Architect - José Grases Riera.
3. The historic palace of Mr. Federico Ortiz - Recoletos District.
Year of construction 1901-1903.
Alcalá Street 93.
Architect - Santiago Castellanos Urízar.
4. The palace-house of the Dukes of Sueca and Alcudia - Justicia District.
Year of construction 1904.
Barquillo Street 8.
Architect - José Urioste Velada.
5. Gallardo House - Argüelles District.
Year of construction 1911-1914.
Ferraz Street 2.
Architects - Enrique Daverio Bara, Federico de Arias Rey & Luis Vidal Tuasón.
(Recognized as a Cultural Heritage Site in 1997)
6. Residential properties for Mr. Leopoldo Daza - Goya District.
Year of construction 1912-1918.
Príncipe de Vergara Street 8.
Architect - Jesús Carrasco-Muñoz Encina.
7. (Unknown name) - Recoletos District.
Year of construction 1918-1920.
O’Donnell Street 5.
Architect - Cesáreo Iradier Uriarte.
8. The former residential complex of Banco Hispano de la Edificación - Universidad District.
Year of construction 1930.
Gran Vía Street 60.
Architects - Emilio Ortiz de Villajos & Castro Fernández-Shaw Iturralde (reconstruction)
9. San Cristóbal community - Castilla District.
Year of construction 1948-1949.
Castellana Avenue 290.
Architect - Secundino de Zuazo Ugalde.
(Residential buildings for E.M.T. employees)
10. Ocaso Insurance company building - Argüelles District.
Year of construction 1952-1953.
Princesa Street 23.
Architect - Juan Pan da Torre.
11. Madrid Tower - Argüelles District.
Year of construction 1954-1957.
Princesa Street 1.
Architect - Julián Otamendi Machibarrena.
12. Housing building Girasol - Castellana District.
Year of construction 1964-1966.
José Ortega y Gasset Street 23.
Architects - José Antonio Coderch de Sentmenat & Manuel Valls Verges.
13. Three residential buildings - Castellana District.
Year of construction 1964-1968.
José Ortega y Gasset Street 26.
Architect - Juan Manuel Ruiz de la Prada y Sanchiz.
14. Torres Blancas - Prosperidad District.
Year of construction 1964-1968.
América Avenue 37.
Architect - Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oíza.
15. Valencia Tower - Ibiza District.
Year of construction 1968-1973.
O’Donnell Street 4.
Architect - Javier Carvajal Ferrer.
16. (Unknown name) - Canillas District.
Year of construction - circa 1972
Mota del Cuervo Street 2.
Architect - Desconocido.
17. Paseo de la Habana 175 building - Chamartín District.
Year of construction - 1999.
Paseo de la Habana Street 175.
Architect - Bueso Inchausti & Rein.
18. Mirador building - Valdefuentes District (Sanchinarro).
Year of construction 2002-2006.
Princesa de Éboli Street, 13-21.
Architects - Winy Mass, Jacob van Rijs, Nathalie de Vries & Blanca Lleó Fernández.
19. Amber Tower - Fuente de la Mora District (Sanchinarro)
Year of construction 2007 (aprox.)
Dulce Chacón Street 17.
Architect - Desconocido.
20. Gran Vía 48 building - Universidad District.
Year of construction 2009.
Gran Vía Street 48.
Architect - Rafael de la Hoz.
21. Newarco Machupichu - Canillas District.
Year of construction 2015 (aprox.)
Manuel Rodrigo Square 1.
Architect - Newarco.