Standing in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square, a brass plaque underfoot marks Spain’s geographical centre. This is the point from which distances to the rest of the country are measured – it is quite literally the heart of the nation. Stroll through here within the next year, however, and you’re likely to find this historic square undergoing a major redesign, with plans for glass pavilions, cycle lanes and new granite paving.
Aptly for the city’s literal core, Puerta del Sol’s transformation is being mirrored across Madrid – the city is taking on a new topography. Following Madrid Rio, the emblematic Plaza de España has recently received a makeover, while the Madrid Nuevo Norte urban regeneration project aims to breathe new life into the north of the city.
