Matadero Madrid

The old Madrid slaughterhouse, consisting of neo-Mudejar-style pavilions built in the early 20th century along the banks of the River Manzanares, has transformed into a vibrant cultural hub. Today, it is home to the Centro de Creación Contemporánea del Ayuntamiento de Madrid (Madrid City Council's Centre for Contemporary Creation), a lively venue that fosters cultural enjoyment, artistic experimentation and the exchange of ideas across various fields, including visual arts, performing arts, design, literature, digital culture, architecture, and many other creative practices.

The centre, created in 2006, is made up of the following areas:

• Naves 10 Matadero: Operating within the Max Aub, Hormigón and Madera halls (formerly Naves del Español), this theatre space is dedicated to the production and dissemination of performing arts, with a focus on contemporary dramatic creation.

• Casa del Lector: a large cultural centre whose programme casts a spotlight on readers and reading.

• Central de Diseño: supported by the Madrid City Council and DIMAD (Madrid Designers' Association), its aim is to promote and spread all things design.

• Cineteca: a modern and lively space that hosts a programme attentive to new audiovisual forms, paying special attention to independent, alternative and non-fiction cinema. .

• Center for Artists in Residence: this space extends and reinforces the city's selection of public residencies and work areas, providing Madrid's creative sector with economic resources, tools and institutional guidance in an environment of creation and co-existence for local, national and international creators. The centre is located in Nave 16, a large, versatile and multi-purpose exhibition space of over 4,000 square metres. It can be used as a big exhibition hall, or a space for installations and activities all relating to the performing arts, as well as a set of smaller, independent spaces divided into up to three halls that can be used at the same time.

• Intermediae: Located in Hall 17, it is a space dedicated to socially committed artistic practices, from the perspective of research and cultural innovation.

• Nave 0. Exhibitions: this former slaughterhouse's cold storage unit now offers a wide range of creative installations, this is demonstrated by the projects displayed by artists inside these very walls.

• Plaza y Calle Matadero: an outdoor multipurpose space devoted to a huge range of leisure and cultural activities.

• MAD (Madrid Digital Arts) Immersive Experience Centre: Inaugurated in 2022, it is a space that combines exhibition with research and the innovative creation of quality content for the tastes and interests of new cultural audiences. It is located in Hall 16.

• Medialab Matadero: Located in Hall 17, it's an institutional platform for research, creation and experimental production driven by the dynamics of the Procomún, where community participation and civic engagement are encouraged through the tools and talent of artists, critical thinkers, designers and scientists, as well as between different disciplines, institutions, organisations and industries

Matadero Madrid also boasts two gastronomic areas: Cantina and Café Naves.

- See Matadero Madrid's venue plans