Off-Site Tours

IE Tower

Rising within Madrid’s evolving northern skyline, IE Tower—also known as Caleido—redefines the vertical campus as a dense, interconnected environment for learning, research, and community. Designed to host up to 6,000 students and 500 staff, the tower brings together classrooms, academic departments, and shared amenities within a highly adaptable spatial framework. Its open-plan floorplates and varied geometries respond directly to programmatic needs, with expansive teaching levels interspersed by double-height “plazas” that serve as social condensers, fostering interaction and informal exchange.

As we move through the building, we will experience how circulation, light, and program are carefully orchestrated: classrooms cluster around the central core, maximizing natural light and acoustic performance, while terraces and breakout areas offer moments of pause throughout the vertical journey. The tour will also highlight the tower’s high-performance double-skin façade, an integrated environmental system that enhances comfort, reduces energy demand, and frames sweeping views across the city.

Time: 3:00 PM–5:00 PM 
Presenters/Tour Leads: Cristina Mateo, Associate Dean, IE School of Architecture and Design; Marcos Cortés, Associate & Creative Director, Serrano Suñer Arquitectura
Meeting Point: Attendees will meet at the lunch venue, Espacio Cuadrilla.
Getting Here: IE Tower is a short walk from Espacio Cuadrilla. Attendees attending the evening networking reception are responsible for their own transportation from IE Tower.

Kindly hosted by:

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

The transformation of Real Madrid’s home at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium has redefined the venue as a cutting-edge, multiuse arena that merges innovative architecture, advanced engineering, and immersive visitor experiences. This tour highlights key structural interventions, including the new façade, panoramic viewpoints, and technical galleries housing the stadium’s mechanical and control systems, while explaining how the design supports rapid conversion between sporting events and large-scale performances.

Attendees will also discover the hypogeum system and retractable pitch, learning how modular turf sections are transported, stored, and maintained within a climate-controlled environment. The route passes through museum and trophy spaces, enhanced by multimedia storytelling, and includes access to select back-of-house areas such as the players’ tunnel, pitch edge, and service corridors. Lasting approximately 90–120 minutes, the experience blends architectural insight with operational understanding for a broad audience.

Time: 3:30 PM–5:30 PM 
Presenters/Tour Leads: Senior Representatives from Porcelanosa and the renovation architects
Meeting Point: Porcelanosa showroom, Av. de Concha Espina, 18, Chamartín, 28016 Madrid
Getting Here: Attendees are responsible for their own transportation to/from the tour. Porcelanosa showroom is about 35 minutes from the lunch venue by train, or 15-20 minutes by taxi. Those attending the evening networking reception are responsible for their own transportation following the tour.

Kindly hosted by:

Torres Blancas

Discover one of Madrid’s most iconic examples of organic modernism with a guided visit to Torres Blancas, the celebrated residential tower designed by Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza. Completed in 1969, the building challenges conventional high-rise design with its sculptural concrete forms, rounded balconies, and tree-like vertical structure—an architectural vision that reimagines urban living as a “vertical garden city.”

The tour begins with a stroll around the tower to appreciate its multiple entry points, relationship to the surrounding city, and the structural expression of its terraces and shear walls. Inside, the lobby reveals Sáenz de Oíza’s distinctive design language and the spirit of the era. Attendees will then ascend via original elevators to the upper levels, continuing to the rooftop garden, where sculptural service volumes frame the pool and terraces, culminating in sweeping panoramic views across Madrid.

Time:  3:00 PM–6:30 PM 
Presenters/Tour Leads: Javier Sáenz, son of the building’s original architect
Meeting Point: Attendees will meet at the lunch venue, Espacio Cuadrilla.
Getting Here: Transportation will be provided from Espacio Cuadrilla to Torres Blancas. Following the tour, transportation will continue to the networking reception at Palacio de Cibeles. Attendees not registered for the reception may still use this return transport but are responsible for arranging their own onward travel from there.
Special Instructions: All attendees must present their ID to building security for access. 

Torre Castelar 

Torre Castelar is an icon of modern Spanish architecture, originally completed in 1983 and celebrated for its bold engineering and suspended structural system. In 2010, it was thoughtfully renovated by the original architect’s son, who modernized the interiors and upgraded the façade while carefully preserving the building’s distinctive architectural vision—blending legacy design with contemporary performance. 

The tour places particular emphasis on this renovation, led by the architecture firm responsible for the intervention, offering first-hand insight into the strategies used to adapt the building to current standards. Attendees will explore how the original structure was retained and enhanced, alongside upgrades to the double-skin façade that improve daylighting, energy performance, and occupant comfort. The visit includes key interior and circulation spaces, illustrating how materials, systems, and spatial qualities were carefully reworked. Blending architectural narrative with technical explanation 

Time:  3:00 PM–5:00 PM 
Presenters/Tour Leads: Zaloa Mayor, Project Director, Rafael de La-Hoz Arquitectos
Meeting Point: Attendees will meet at the lunch venue, Espacio Cuadrilla.
Getting Here: Transportation will be provided from Espacio Cuadrilla to Torre Castelar. Attendees are responsible for their own transportation following the tour. For those attending the networking reception, it is a 10-minute cab ride or 30-minute walk to Palacio de Cibeles. 

Kindly hosted by:

Torre Foster, Torre Espacio & Torre de Cristal—Building Maintenance  

This tour explores façade access strategies across three of Madrid’s most iconic high-rise towers—Torre Foster, Torre Espacio, and Torre de Cristal—with a particular focus on the design and operation of Building Maintenance Units (BMUs). 

Led by façade access specialists, the visit will provide insight into how BMU systems are integrated within complex tower geometries to support both architectural intent and long-term maintenance. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how these systems address challenges such as height, wind conditions, and façade variation, while ensuring safe and efficient access for cleaning and repair. 

The tour includes guided access to technical areas within the towers, along with expert commentary on system performance, operational considerations, and lessons learned over time. It is well suited for architects, engineers, developers, and building owners seeking practical knowledge of façade access in a dense, high-rise urban environment.

Time: 3:00 PM–6:15 PM 
Presenters/Tour Leads: Senior Representatives from Facade Access Solutions and CoxGomyl 
Meeting Point: Attendees will meet at the lunch venue, Espacio Cuadrilla.
Getting Here: The tour sites are a short walk from Espacio Cuadrilla. Those attending the evening networking reception are responsible for their own transportation following the tour.
Special Instructions: All attendees must present their ID to building security for access. 

Kindly hosted by: