MP has been awarded the contract to supply and install the lifts for the tennis stadium which FCC is building in Madrid, known as the “Caja Mágica”, or Magic Box.

It is as a result of the dynamic and changing appearance of the outer walls and roofs of the sports’ pavilions that the Centre has been given the name Caja Mágica. In order to exclude the sun’s rays, the exterior of the buildings will be shiny and opaque during the day. At night, however, it will become translucent, and the interior lighting will make the exterior walls sparkle. The building has been designed so that one competition can be held undercover, while another – courtesy of the tilted roof – is being held in the open air.

The design of the complex is by Dominique Perrault, whose other works include the National Library in Paris, and the Velodrome and Olympic Pool in Berlin. The complex is being constructed principally of steel, wood and glass. The core building will house three covered stadiums, with seating for 12,000, 3,500 and 2,500 spectators. Another building, called the ‘Tennis Indoor’, will house 11 more covered courts (five with seating for 500 spectators and six training courts). There will also be 16 outdoor courts in the 'Tennis Garden'.

The design uses cutting-edge technology and is environmentally-friendly. The protective covering, for example, will change according to the seasons, light, temperature and the type of event held.

In concrete terms, the main building is 82,520 square meters in area, and has three internal courts with seating for 12,000, 3,194 and 2,730 spectators. All three courts have tilting roofs - the largest of which is 103 metres long and 73 metres wide. These can be moved, in order to expose the entire playing area to the open air.

MP will install a total of 25 lifts, 19 of them in the main building and 6 in the “Tennis Indoor”. Of the 19 to be installed in the main building, 11 are lifts with “gearless” technology. The cars will have panoramic views, and – since the roof will sometimes be tilted – they will be weatherproof. The lifts will give access to the seating, as well as the restaurants and VIP areas located at the top of the building.

The cars and control panels have been specially designed for the complex, in accordance with the requirements of Dominique Perrault's overall concept. Architects from Perrault’s practice have visited our installations in both Seville and Saragossa to give their approval to the finishes which will be used on the lifts.

This complex is part of the package in support of Madrid's bid for the 2016 Olympic Games. It will host the Madrid Masters Tournament, and be home to a Tennis school and Federation Headquarters, thus making it a High Performance Centre which will be managed by the Tennis Federation.

Fernando López Lorenzo
Business Portals Manager