11 March Memorial

Built to commemorate the bombing of Madrid’s Atocha railway station on March 11, 2004, the memorial is located in front of the station, from which it can be accessed through a blue-coloured empty chamber running under the street. The monument consists of two parts: the underground chamber and an oval-shaped glass tower, linked together by a round window. The names of the victims are engraved on the translucent glass panel between the first and second entrance doors and the ETFE membrane inside the tower is printed with hundreds of messages left at the station by mourners after the attack. The tower is composed of 15,000 curved glass blocks glued together with a liquid-acrylic material hardened by ultraviolet lamps, that during the day is illuminated by sunlight, while at night it glows from the internal lighting at the base. From the otherwise dark chamber, visitors can gaze upwards to read the messages of condolence and support.