Madrid to demolish the old Corte Inglés de Méndez Álvaro to create a large park and ...

The old Corte Inglés de Méndez Álvaro will be demolished. In its place, there will be a large park, a mobility centre for Bicimad, and an office tower. The change will affect daily life and the landscape in the south of Madrid.

The definitive closure of the old Corte Inglés de Méndez Álvaro marks the start of an urban transformation that will change life in the south of Madrid. The building, which for decades was a commercial landmark and meeting point, will give way to a new space where mobility, green areas, and economic activity are interwoven.

The City Council has approved the urban planning agreement that activates the Nuevo Sur-Méndez Álvaro project. The plot, almost 12,000 square metres, is now divided between 72% municipal land—set aside for public facilities and a park—and 28% private property for offices. The historic shopping centre, opened in 1992 and closed in 2024, will be demolished within 18 to 24 months from final approval. Cranes and earthworks will be visible in the neighbourhood over the next two years.

Most of the land, now in municipal hands, will become a large district green area and a public facility yet to be defined, which will be decided in dialogue with the Junta de Arganzuela and local residents. Deputy Mayor Inma Sanz has stated that the park will be the central feature of the new space, around which public buildings and the future office tower will be organised. The aim is to create new pedestrian connections and places to spend time in an area until now dominated by traffic and closed commercial use.

Below ground, the former underground car park of Corte Inglés—with around 28,000 square metres—will be transformed into a Centro de Movilidad managed by the Empresa Municipal de Transportes. This will house the new operations and maintenance base for Bicimad, with capacity to manage up to 9,000 public bicycles. There will also be a municipal tow truck base with 1,200 spaces for removed vehicles, a public rotating car park with 320 spaces, and an electric mobility hub for professional fleets and zero-emission vehicle charging. The City Council aims to make Méndez Álvaro a key sustainable mobility hub, taking advantage of its strategic position next to the train, bus, and Metro station.

On the private plot, measuring 3,311 square metres, a 27-storey office tower will be built. This new skyscraper, with a maximum buildable area of 51,776 square metres, aims to become a landmark on the southern Madrid skyline and a magnet for companies and jobs. The operation is part of the municipal strategy to consolidate the southern M-30 corridor as a new business centre, in line with other recent developments in the area.

Méndez Álvaro has undergone rapid transformation in recent years, shifting from a transit area to one of Madrid's most dynamic urban nodes. Its proximity to the M-30, the intermodal station, and new office developments have changed the pace of the neighbourhood. Now, with the arrival of a large park, new facilities, and a tower that redefines the horizon, the area is once again adjusting its rhythm and preparing for a new chapter in the city's life.

🆕 Demolition of Corte Inglés Méndez Álvaro approved. Nuevo Sur-Méndez Álvaro brings a park, Bicimad (9,000 bikes), tow truck base, electric hub, and 27-storey tower; 72% municipal, demolition in 18-24 months. Transformation in south Madrid: 11,811 m² in Arganzuela shift from retail to green space, sustainable mobility, and offices; EMT manages underground centre, Inma Sanz drives M-30 hub.