An Ideas Competition To Renovate The Entrance Hall Of The Building. To Make It A Contemporary Form Of  Welcoming And Wayfinding To The Many Activities Associated With What Makes The Ateneo An Important Part Of The History And Culture Of Madrid.

The Ateneo of Madrid is a center of culture teeming with ideas, opportunities and great diversity. The new Entrance space will serve as a welcoming handshake to its members and the greater city of Madrid as a celebration of the art, literature, science and a homage to its complex and rich history. A balanced, considered response is made through celebrating the historic integrity of the space and reflecting the ever dynamic and flourishing ambitions and values of the Ateneo today.

A panelized backdrop takes on a life of its own countering the ideal static historical attributes of the entrance hall by empowering and informing the user in new ways, constantly changing with their perceptions as they move through the space. The entrance is transformed and reinvigorated through a constellation of inherently incremental interventions. The panels represent the wealth of knowledge that Ateneo has to offer through its library - containing volumes of explicit knowledge and the power of exchange of tacit knowledge shared within and between the Ateneo’s nineteen sections. The ever changing sequence through the space reflects the cyclical relationship of these tacit and explicit knowledges.

The funnel of information becomes the focus for the Entrance’s circulation systems, revealing and expressing its programs and guiding the user’s experience. The panel system defines the space in three interconnected panel clusters united in a logical progression to the reception area directing new users by reinforcing the linear circulation path. Through varying opacity and translucency the panel clusters symbolize the importance of celebrating the past, marking the present and looking to the future as a powerful exchange of ideas between tradition and innovation.