Enlargement of center for cerebral palsy patients, Madrid

Hans Abaton  

On Calle Adonis in Madrid, near the old Campamento military barracks, is the Duques de Lugo rehabilitation and special education center for children and youth suffering cerebral palsy. Sponsored by the Esther Koplowitz Foundation, its recent extension is a work of the Madrid office of Hans Abaton. Adapting the facilities to specific needs of patients, the new three-floor block rises next to the existing building, attached to it on its southeast side, and accommodates a program that includes multipurpose halls, spacious rooms, a meeting place for visitors, and an intensive care unit. It has a recognizable presence in the neighborhood thanks to its unique color scheme, and gives every bedroom a personality of its own: the unity achieved on a formal level breaks up in different colors allowing each child to have a one-of-a-kind room. In addition, over these new rooms is a green roof providing thermal and acoustic insulation while reducing the building’s energy demands and cleaning up the surrounding area.