This document provides an overview of streets and benches in the context of an urban design project focused on Madrid, Spain. It defines streets as public spaces where people can freely assemble and move about. Main streets tend to be broader with more activity and commerce, while side streets are quieter and often residential. Madrid is then introduced as the capital city of Spain with over 3.3 million residents in the city and 6.5 million in the larger metropolitan area. The project will analyze Madrid at the macro, neighborhood and building scales. It also discusses benches and their complex functions in organizing sight lines and narratives in gardens and sites. The objectives are to photographically document street elements in Madrid, diagram the street level and connections to other levels,

1. e1 P3.int international.
a4 a3 a2 a1 > = size ≠ scale
MADRID´S STREET.
DATACITY + BENCH
Under
-­‐
Level
0
–
Top
The STREET is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble,
interact, and move about.
The
street
is a public easement, one of the few shared between all sorts of people. As a component of the built
environment as ancient as human habitation, the street sustains a range of activities vital to civilization. Its roles are as
numerous and diverse as its ever-changing cast of characters.
Streets can be loosely categorized as main streets and side streets. Main streets are usually broad with a relatively high
level of activity. Commerce and public interaction are more visible on main streets, and vehicles may use them for
longer-distance travel. Side streets are quieter, often residential in use and character, and may be used for vehicular
parking.
MADRID is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million[4] and the entire
population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be around 6.5 million. It is the third-largest city in the
European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan area is the third-largest in the European Union after
London and Paris.[5][6][7][8] The city spans a total of 604.3 km2 (233.3 sq mi).
Madrid is selected as a city that filled certain criteria: density, high population, diverse population,
complicated transportation system, and a varied history amongst other things.
Analysis should done at the macro scale, neighborhood scale and the building scale.
The BENCH.
"Small objects have sometimes complex functions. A bench in a garden is most of the time invisible. Once we pay
attention to it (at least in certain gardens), it reveals its suprising semantic and narrative potential. In some important
cases a seat becomes the center that organises the scopic strategies of an entire site."1
1
GSD Talks: Michael Jakob, "Park Bench Stories"
Teaching Staff. Mayka GªHípola – Juan Hevia P3. International Group

2. Objectives. Processes.
s1a. Photography data. Level 0. Street objects as references. 10 units.
-Entrances, doors, shop fronts, pavements, benches, lighting, litter bins…. Descriptive analysis > measures,
dimensions, types…
-Find out which are the useless/necessary elements for the street.
s1b. Diagram of a representative level 0 of Madrid in relation with the under and top level.
s2. A bench for Madrid.
-Design a bench for Madrid with the necessary elements for the different uses and place it somewhere in Madrid.
-Dimensions.
-Structure.
-Materials.
-Flexibility.
-Implementations.
Format
A-4 vertical. + models + 1 min. video.
Scale 1/1, 1/5, 1/10, 1/20, 1/10000…
>Being a workshop, students must be investigated in formats, materials and work systems.
Submittion
8 sep L 11:30 presentation EX>1
22 sep L 11:30 Ex>1 Juri + pre-entry. (s1a-s1b).
2 oct L 11:30 Ex>1 Juri + final entry. (s1+s2).
w
Teaching Staff. Mayka GªHípola – Juan Hevia P3. International Group