The Community of Madrid has begun the process of declaring the old Clesa factory in the capital as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), in the category of monument, as reported by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports.
The initiation of the file will soon be published in the regional Official Gazette (BOCM), point out the same sources, which emphasize that it is one of the key works of the architect Alejandro de la Sota and the first modern Spanish architecture.
On October 30, the municipal groups in the Madrid City Council had urged the Community of Madrid to initiate the file for the declaration of the old Clesa factory as BIC, an initiative that went ahead with the votes in favor of all the groups and which is now launched.
The building, located in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district, has been internationally recognized for its innovation and technical contributions to industrial architecture. The project was signed in September 1958, jointly, by de la Sota and the agronomist Manuel Ramos Amieva, given that its destination was the production of dairy products.
BIC protection includes the surroundings of the property that encompasses the building plot and the adjacent plot that is part of the complex to "prevent cultural perception and understanding from being lost." The desire of the authors is thus respected, the Ministry emphasizes, to make their project coexist with the nature of the environment. The regional government considers, however, that it is not necessary to extend the declaration to the rest of the adjacent plots because the land is classified as developable with special protection.
The factory was also a milestone in the modernization and improvement of the population's eating habits in its promotion of the consumption of industrially treated and sanitized milk. It became an object of visit for schoolchildren of the time who admired the modernity, monumentality and neatness of its facilities.
The tripartite layout in warehouses for different uses stands out. A first block housed the production and storage of products and the administrative office. As separate bodies, but linked to the main building by elevated connecting elements, are the milk reception hall and a pavilion for changing rooms and staff dining rooms.
The property thus complies with all the new values of modern architecture such as social responsibility and commitment to the profession, the creation of environments for the well-being of people or integration with the place.
For its part, the design is an example of an integral and integrated conception in all its parts, but adapted to the restrictive technical means and materials available. Thus, the architect used a cladding solution with concrete cladding for the entire façade, compared to brick, which continued to be the predominant material.
The old Clesa factory, which ceased its activity in 2011, occupies land of more than 10,000 square meters on Avenida del Cardenal Herrera Oria and was built at the end of the 1950s for the bottling of milk from this company of origin. Burgos.
Since its opening in 1962, it became a reference point in the northern area of Madrid, especially in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district for its quality, size and modern design, one of the best examples of Spanish industrial architecture of the 20th century and of the first buildings made with prestressed concrete.
Alejandro de la Sota, (Pontevedra 1913-Madrid 1996), has been a reference for several generations of Spanish architects. Among his most notable works, in addition to the Clesa factory, stands out the Gymnasium of the Maravillas school in Madrid, declared BIC in 2017.
