The bridge was built along the Bustarviejo/Miraflores highway in 1908 in a beautiful natural area in the Sierra Norte de Madrid, which is part of a network of trails popular with hikers and cyclists.
Before construction began, the bridge was in a deplorable state of disrepair. Over time, its structure had been almost completely buried by sediment from the stream that channels its waters.
The project began with an initial phase of restoration of its masonry, granite ashlar, and the consolidation of its breakwaters and vaulted ceilings. This required recovering certain pieces of the parapet that had been lost in the sediment, restoring the original granite ashlar architecture typical of mid-19th-century Spain.
Before starting the works, a major excavation was required in the stream bed, which, in a second phase, required re-configuring the slopes of the stream banks. To achieve this, it was necessary to start the environmental conditioning of its immediate surroundings, through the construction of a dam in order to contain the advance of sediments.
This situation led us to consider the bridge's relationship with its context, revaluing the monument as a key element of a natural environment with undeniable potential for ecotourism. With this objective in mind, we proposed the creation of two recreational spaces from which to contemplate the bridge and the surrounding landscape: one next to the path and the other next to the stream. This, along with the access trail, would also allow the new stone dike to be integrated into the landscape.
The architectural solution consisted of integrating a series of elements into the site, whose simplicity and quick assembly allowed for minimal costs. Constructively, all the elements respond to a single system made almost exclusively of eco-wooden sleepers. To save resources and time, the possible variations of the system are based on the different positions of the pieces themselves, sometimes placed on edge and sometimes on their sides; stacked or staggered.
Finally, a study of the surrounding vegetation was conducted to replant native species that gradually grow alongside the project.
The restoration of the Stone Bridge in Bustarviejo, and the environmental conditioning works in its surroundings, were included in the Community of Madrid's Bridges Plan, promoted by the General Directorate of Heritage and the Tajo-Segura Hydrographic Confederation. The work was carried out in two stages, between July 2013 and November 2014.
Project in collaboration with architect David Sánchez Bellido
Technical supervision. Community of Madrid: Concha Alcalde, Architect; and Carmen Anegón, Technical Architect.
Construction Company: Freyssinet. Carlos García (Site Manager)
Photography: David Sánchez Bellido
Technical architect Raúl Salazar
Archaeological monitoring: Juan José Cano, Reno Archaeologists
Publication in the landscaping magazine Landuum
Work selected for the AADIPA European Architectural Heritage Award catalogue.
Year: 2016
