Jacinto Benavente will gain 3,105 m² of pedestrian space and a large pergola in 2027

The project covers 10,044 square metres and includes, in addition to the square itself, Carretas, 39 metres of Bolsa Street, 144 metres of Atocha, 35 metres of Doctor Cortezo and the junction with Concepción Jerónima. By the end of August, reconstruction of the underground car park roof was already 90% complete and the new paving on Carretas was 80% complete. Bolsa Street is already paved.

The most visible change will be the increase in space for walking. The new layout will leave 3,105 square metres exclusively for pedestrians and trees, treated as a continuous granite surface and arranged around eight planted beds with trees and shrubs.

That does not mean, however, that all traffic will disappear entirely. A single lane towards Cruz Street will remain for the current public transport lines, loading and unloading during permitted hours, and authorised vehicles. Atocha, Concepción Jerónima and Doctor Cortezo will also retain traffic.

The square will lose one of its two bus bays, the inner one, and stops will be redistributed. In addition, a single-level lane will link Atocha with Cruz Street for EMT minibuses, integrated at the same level as the pedestrian space.

Access to the car park beneath the square will also change. The entrance from Atocha will disappear and the only entrance will be on Doctor Cortezo. The exit from the Doctor Cortezo tunnel towards Cruz Street will also be closed and that ramp will serve only as access to the car park; cars will exit via Concepción Jerónima.

At the centre, one of the project’s most recognisable elements will appear: a large pergola designed to create shade at the point where the presence of the car park prevents large trees from being planted. It will also incorporate misting water diffusers for the hottest months. Its shape will abstractly recover the footprint of the former housing that occupied this space.

Another sloping planted bed will link Carretas directly to the first level of the car park by stairs and a lift. It will have vegetation, allow more natural light into the underground area and include a channel on the stairs to make transporting bicycles easier. Later, EMT will develop a separate project to turn the car park into a Sustainable Mobility Centre.

The works have also left a small trace of Madrid’s past. During the renewal of the paving on Carretas, remains of old foundations appeared. Madrid Regional Government Heritage ordered them to be documented and covered again, so they will not remain on display when the renovation is complete.

Jacinto Benavente is the last piece of a broader transformation of the surrounding area. The renovations of Matute and Tirso de Molina are already complete, and the new layout connects with the pedestrianisation of Cruz Street and several sections of the Barrio de las Letras. If the current timetable is maintained, the renewed square will be ready in spring 2027.