Transformation of Monument Homage to Victims of 11-M and Metro Line Expansion

This proposal arises at a time when the enclave is in the process of transformation, coinciding with the improvements carried out by the regional Executive in different Metro lines.

El Confidencial reported three weeks ago that the expansion of line 11 in Atocha will entail the transfer of the cylinder in honor of the victims of the attack. During this month, taking advantage of the inactivity of Line 1, preliminary works are being carried out inside.

Later, in October, the disassembly of the outer part will begin.. For this, the Community of Madrid must obtain a permit from the City Council directed by José Luis Martínez-Almeida and proceed to install scaffolding and the necessary material for the remodeling..

The deputy mayor of Madrid, Inmaculada Sanz, confirmed this Thursday the intention of the Madrid City Council to reach a three-way agreement to define the focus of action regarding the very probable change of the monument in memory of the victims. This would ensure the continuity of its commemorative value.

“The path to follow is based on the agreement between Adif —competent entity and dependent on the Ministry of Transport—, the Community of Madrid and the City Council. I think that the works will begin soon”, declared the number two of Almeida in reference to the subject.

Sanz clarified his commitment to the cause, endorsing that, once the works in Atocha are finished, the victims have a monument in memory.

“This effort must not only involve the Madrid community as a whole, but also the victims themselves, ensuring that their voices are fundamental in this commemoration,” he said..

The community has started the disassembly work on the current Monument Homage to the Victims of 11-M, which will increase its size in the project for the future Metro de Madrid lobby in Atocha, projecting references to the attack and a space for family members.

The station is planned to double its annual users after the extension of Line 11, according to Europa Press.

In one year, the twentieth anniversary of the 11-M attacks, which occurred on March 11, 2004, will be commemorated, in which 10 of the 13 bombs planted by jihadist terrorists exploded on Madrid suburban trains, leaving 192 fatalities.

The monument was neglected for years

For years, the cylinder of the monument was neglected, with problems such as leaks and cracks.. Manuela Carmena, the mayoress at the time, acknowledged that the original construction was not adequate.

Between 2019 and 2020, rehabilitation works were carried out and, since then, the monument has been kept in better condition, facilitating its accessibility.

The reality is that this is not the original piece that was intended to be raised. When the contest went out to tender, the winning project was a kind of deformed bubble, “very modern and striking at the time”.

This is how the designer and architect Pepe Cruz, who was about to submit to the public tender, remembers it. Ultimately, it did not, and the team of architects who were awarded the work had to reformulate the design for technical reasons.

In addition, the cylinder has been commonly nicknamed a plastic cup and other disqualifications.

“Good architects have the obligation to remove the established taste and go a little further. At first they didn’t like the Guggenheim either”, continues the expert.