Located at the geographic and commercial center of Madrid, AZCA was conceived in the 1960s as a modern financial district—an elevated field of concrete plazas and oversized circulation corridors. Over time, these spaces became inaccessible, fragmented, and largely void of public life. In a city defined by its streets and plazas, AZCA stood apart, increasingly inhospitable in Madrid’s hot climate and disconnected from everyday use.

The project transforms this condition by bringing a forest and a river into the heart of the district, reshaping the ground into a living landscape. The landscape is designed to cool the city, support habitat, and make outdoor life more comfortable through Madrid’s long summers. Water is reused and recirculated through a visible stream, turning infrastructure into an active part of the public realm and reducing resource demands.