Embajadores - Legazpi - Méndez Alvaro

Embajadores a popular neighbourhood

The name "Embajadores" (Ambassadors) was given to this neighbourhood on account of the fact that during the 17th century the city's embassies were temporarily relocated in the area due to a plague. The district extends south of Glorieta Embajadores, Ronda de Toledo and Ronda de Valencia
it is an ordinary Spanish district. It has some interesting sites though: The Casa Encendida is a very active cultural center, with lots of activities and courses. The impressive Matadero -what used to be the old huge 1925 slaughterhouse of Madrid- is now a Contemporary Culture Center. The Circo Price is a permanent circus, there is also a planetarium, a 3D cinema and the vast park of Tierno Galván.

La Casa Encendida, at Ronda de Valencia, 2
Metro: Embajadores (L3)
It is a cultural, social and educational center founded by the bank Caja Madrid. They have exhibitions, library, workshops at reduced prices, activities for children, contemporary dance and theater performances. Now, they even have an "Isla Encendida" in Second Life. The first big project in Spanish in Second Life, the virtual House on Fire lets you tour the house, meet people, attend poetry readings, attend a workshop, watch some theater, and listen to a virtual DJ.

Circo Price at Ronda de Atocha, 35
Metro: Lavapiés, Embajadores (L3) - Google maps
Thomas Price was an English ecuestre acrobat pertaining to the "Price Brothers", contemporaries of Philip Astley, creator of the first modern circus in London, in 1768. In 1880 they opened the "Circus Theater of Price", becoming from the beginning a preeminent show, not only of the circus arts but, of cultural manifestations in general. The implantation of a new circus with permanent character in Madrid is one old vindication raised by the circus world and the public in general. In 1999 the City council of Madrid decided to take ahead to the project of the construction of the stable Theater Price Circus, with capacity for almost 2,000 spectators. Its denomination wants to be a tribute to the professionals and lovers of the circus for whom "the Price" means the collective memory of the circus.

Matadero de Madrid at
Paseo de la Chopera 10
Metro: Legazpi - Google maps
The former slaughterhouse complex in Madrid, one of the most unique and interesting industrial buildings in 20th century Madrid architecture is today a large space for contemporary creation. The 148.300 m2 of the complex, with free access, offer activities, and studios for creative projects.
In 1910, it was decided to build the slaughterhouse in the Arganzuela meadow. It comprises 13 neo-mudéjar buildings made of brick. Each building housed a different activity, to cover all the industrial process. The activity in the complex began to decrease in 1973, and after several attempts to renovate the installations, it was closed totally on 1996. In recent years the different warehouses in the complex have been under renovation in order to house this great project. The lines of action of the new Matadero include training and production, exhibition and education with particular emphasis on experimental and innovative projects at international level.

IMAX Madrid
c/Meneses s/n
Metro: Méndez Alvaro - Google maps
IMAX are well known for their enormous screens and 3D effects. The IMAX incorporates 3 different types of experience. There’s the IMAX 600m2 screen equivalent to 3 tennis courts in size, and has to be seen to be believed.
The Omnimax dome, which is 900m2 and 30m in diameter. The fish eye screen gives a feeling of total immersion in the film.
The IMAX 3D screen with the special glasses provided. You feel like you can reach out and touch the images.
You can book in advance your ticket from Telentrada

Planetarium Madrid at Avenida del Planetario, nº16. Parque Tierno Galván
Metro: Méndez Alvaro, Arganzuela Planetario (line 6) - Google maps
It was inaugurated in 1986 with a view to becoming an educational and promotional centre for astronomy and science. Its projection room is equipped with a planetarium that reproduces 9,000 stars, and audiovisual means to show a 45 minutes program on astronomical matters. It also has two exhibition rooms.

Parque Enrique Tierno Galván
This park is one of the most extensive of the Community of Madrid, with more than 45 hectares. Enrique Tierno Galván was the Major of Madrid in 1986, when the park was being created, and it was named as him because of his death when he was still in office. It is close to the M-30 ring road, but it is a very pleasant place to walk and discover its great variety of "landscapes": pine trees, lawns, aromatic flower beds, rose beds, artificial lakes, bushes and many species of trees... There are also sports and leisure facilities.