Matadero Madrid

Matadero Madrid is a centre for contemporary creation that was inaugurated in 2007. An enormous multidisciplinary space on the banks of the River Manzanares, in the Arganzuela District.

It is located in a complex of Neo-Mudéjar style industrial pavilions built in the early 20th century, which formed part of what was once the city’s slaughterhouse. The refurbishment of the spaces respected and added contemporary elements to the pre-existing industrial architecture, thereby turning Matadero Madrid into one of the city’s most interesting architectural complexes.

With a total surface area of over 180,000 square metres surrounded by a 2,500 metre long wall, these are its most important spaces:

• Naves Matadero, the industrial units, which house the International Living Arts Centre, the Matadero’s scenic area.
• Cineteca Madrid (film archive), a space dedicated to cinema, with a number of splendidly designed rooms and a film set.
• Intermediae, a municipal initiative to mediate with the community in a space of artistic creation.
• Nave 16, a large 4,000 square metre exhibition space in a versatile and adaptable industrial unit.
• Central de Diseño, located in Nave 17, is a space dedicated to the diffusion and promotion of design.
• Casa del Lector, a cultural centre for the dissemination of literature.
• Abierto x Obras, a former cold storage unit in the slaughterhouse, which has been turned into a unique exhibition space with great creative possibilities.
• El Taller, a small industrial room for presentations, conferences, and creative workshops.
• Plaza Matadero, a large open-air space in which many of the pavilions converge, connected to the other spaces by the cobblestone-paved Calle Matadero.

Updated: 25/05/2021