Puerta de Hierro Sports Park

Before the civil war, in 1934. , some gates were installed to cause the damming of the waters of the Manzanares River to form an image of "atificial Beach" that was soon very frequented by the people of Madrid.

From that initial use, the idea of ​​building the "Sports Union Park Puerta de Hierro", known simply as "Union Park", and renamed years later as Puerta de Hierro Sports Park. The play was opened in 1955 with the signature of the architect Manuel Muñoz Monasterio, becoming in its day the largest sports complex in Europe. A natural paradise next to the Manzanares River, in full contact with nature, near the Royal Palace and in the foothills of the El Pardo highway, just a few minutes from the city center.

Initially, this space was conceived as a rest and entertainment area for workers and employers. But those responsible also wanted to exploit the enormous sporting possibilities of the complex. The objective was to maintain the popular identification of it as a leisure space and, at the same time, ensure that the public take advantage of a wide and versatile sports area.

Originally, this space had dimensions of 2.000 meters long and 300 meters wide. It was made up of the following facilities:

• 1 Pediment.
• 3 pawls (also called mini pediments).
• 4 regulation basketball courts.
• 1 grass soccer field of 102x64 meters.
• 2 soccer fields of earth of 96x48 meters.
• 1 regulatory athletics track with six lanes.
• 3 united pools (one for children 40x25 m, one for adults 136x60 m and a third competition 50x16 m).
• 2 changing rooms for ladies with capacity for 10.000 users.
• 2 men's changing rooms with capacity for 12.000 users.
• 1 children's changing room with capacity for 500 users.
• 1 dam on the river that dammed water for bathing with a water depth of 78.000 m².
• 1 playground.
• 1 restaurant.
• 6 bars.
• 12 American bowling alleys.
• 1 medicine cabinet.
• 1 Management Building.
• In addition, the corresponding services of gardens, warehouse, greenhouse, etc...

As an anecdotal fact, during the months of July and August of 1959 enjoyed this sports facility a few 650.000 people and in one day, 2 August, attended more than 44.000 people.

En 1958 the sports offer was expanded in this space. They were inaugurated three outdoor pools, a grass soccer field, and a running track. In 1959 proceeded to illuminate the fronton, the basketball courts and the playground. The architect Francisco de Asís Cabrero unified the three existing pools into one and created an unparalleled artificial water surface with 7.145m² of water sheet, six times larger than an Olympic swimming pool and just a few meters smaller than a football field. Ultimately, it became Europe's largest outdoor swimming pool at that moment. The success of the Trade Union Park meant that it soon became too small, so it was decided to expand it, once again commissioning the works to the architect Francisco Asís Cabrero. This centers his performance to the east of the longitudinal axis of the installation, around the pools he designed.

Build like this monumental stands and, under them, new changing rooms as well as a tower that supports a clock raised on a very light metal structure with a bell tower to notify users of the schedule and which has subsequently become the symbol of this space. He also incorporated soccer fields, an athletics track with another giant grandstand, a tennis court and a velodrome.

This space, due to its dimensions -which exceeded 300.000 m² of green areas-, and due to the variety and functionality of its facilities, it was the most important sports center in the city of Madrid since the 60s.

For nearly twenty years since the Trade Union Park was inaugurated, and given the exceptional and continued use by the people of Madrid who came to call it "the worker's puddle", its facilities became obsolete, so it was decided to remodel it . Under the new name of Puerta de Hierro Sports Park, and being owned by National Heritage, becomes managed by the Superior Sports Council. Thus begins a new stage together with the renovation of the same to adapt it to the needs of the people of Madrid and the current safety regulations for these sports spaces. In 1985, when the Community of Madrid was created, the ownership of the same passes to it, and it is managed by the Madrid Institute of Sport, Leisure and Recreation, known for short as IMDER.

The first thing to disappear are the existing diving boards in the deepest part of the pool, which could pose a certain danger. Some more tennis courts and a skate area (known as "el Sindi" by young practitioners) are built. The children's pool is also made independent from the rest of the water surface.

Progressively, a complex of 16 padel courts, the football and athletics field becomes a artificial turf rugby field, the entire pool is remodeled, both the glass and the beach area to adapt it to the regulations, and an area is set up as a space for use as golf course.

In another existing space, a field for archery practicewhile in parallel some interior access and transit areas are modernized inside the facility. An adjoining office building is also adapted as gym.

During this stage, the facility is transformed into a large multidisciplinary sports center rarely practiced by citizens.

Within the remodeling carried out in this sports center since the Community of Madrid took over its management, certain spaces will be transformed and others reconverted to adapt them to the needs of citizens, always maintaining the philosophy of leisure and sport in contact with nature . Thus, it will begin with those spaces that are most deteriorated or that, by regulation, require immediate adaptation. For this reason, the changing rooms of the summer pool, as well as the glass and perimeter area are the priority. Work is also being carried out on the bridge over the river to access the facility.

Another transformed space is the pediment, which will become semi-covered and made with the latest existing materials. Likewise, the three mini pediments (also called pediments) existing in the back of it are being remodeled.

Action is also being taken on parking and access to the facility, enabling greater capacity and ease to go with private vehicles, given the limited communication of this area with public transport.

One of the latest actions is the transformation of the old gym as a Special Training Center, facilitating its use by technical athletes from different sports as well as private users who come to the facility.

The chronology of performances since 1999 are:

• 1999- Remodeling of the old women's locker room for use as a gym.
• 2001- Demolition of the stands of the swimming pool and athletics track due to aluminosis. Partial replacement of the treatment plant cover and bodies under the stands, also due to the aluminosis in the roof joists. Plastering of pool façades and patching and plastering of the clock tower.
• 2003-2004 - Completion of the Golf Course.
• 2003- Rehabilitation of the Administration building recovering the initial vault.
• 2004- Remodeling and finishing of the circular bar as well as the rehabilitation of the main roof with zinc finishes.
• 2004-2006- Construction of the archery pavilion.
• 2006- Remodeling of the children's locker room pavilion to convert it into a golf modernization center.
• 2006- Adaptation and remodeling of the original men's and women's changing rooms in the pool, racket area and team sports.
• 2006- Rehabilitation and new roof of the pediment.
• 2006- Remodeling of the Restaurant building
• 2007- Rehabilitation of the male pavilion as the federative headquarters as well as the offices. 
• 2007- Rehabilitation of the roofs of the Golf Technification Center, restaurant and central offices, all with a zinc finish.
• 2007- Construction of the artificial turf rugby field on the old grass soccer field and athletics tracks.
• 2009- Rehabilitation of the roofs of the federal headquarters and the circular bar. Rehabilitation of the ticket office.

Always aiming at the versatility of sports spaces and implementation of sports with few spaces for their practice in our region, a study is carried out to locate them, but giving priority to the philosophy of maintaining a green space in contact with nature.

After a thorough study of the existing space, and taking into account the unused areas, a golf training course will be built, which, years later, will be expanded into a 9-hole golf course (since one cannot be enabled due to space). of 18 holes), with an area for training throws or approaches to the holes. Another is also built for outdoor archery.

On the other hand, and given the implementation of a new sport in society, paddle tennis, an existing area with deteriorated basketball courts will be converted for the construction of a complex of 16 state-of-the-art paddle tennis courts, together with their corresponding changing rooms, which will also be used for other racket sports. The existing skating rink is also being refurbished.

Another drift towards the goal of a large technical sports space is the transfer of some spaces for the location of federative headquarters in Madrid. For this, different agreements are signed for certain Madrilenian Federations to implant their headquarters in it. The corresponding sports spaces are also transferred with the aim of being managed by them for the creation of Sports Modernization Centers or Sports Modernization Programs. The Federations with which agreements are established are:

• Madrid Golf Federation (Sports Technification Program)
• Madrid Archery Federation (Technification Center)
• Madrid Federation of Pelota (Sports Technification Program)
• Madrid Rugby Federation (Sports Technification Program)
• Madrid Federation of Canoeing (Sports Modernization Program)
• Madrid Rowing Federation (Sports Technification Program)
• Padel Federation of Madrid (Sports Technification Program)
• Madrid Taekwondo Federation

After the transformation and use of spaces, the installation becomes the most versatile in the Community of Madrid. Currently, the facility has the following distribution of spaces:

• 9-hole golf course of 12.535 m2.
• Practice field with 58 positions of 8.940 m2.
• Approach and putt area of ​​1.300 m2.
• 2 Putting greens of 1.380 m2.
• Outdoor archery field of 4.500 m2.
• Covered archery pavilion of 500 m2.
• Artificial grass rugby field (100x70 meters).
• Rugby practice field (60x35 meters).
• Melener rugby field (85x7 meters).
• 2 covered sports courts (40x20 meters).
• Roller hockey rink (40x20 meters).
• Covered pediment with steps (30x10 meters).
• 3 Minipediments (10x7 meters each).
• 19 paddle tennis courts (20x10 meters each).
• 6 synthetic pavement tennis courts (36x18 metres).
• Special training center for activities and bodybuilding.
• Adult summer pool of 6.493 m2.
• Children's summer pool of 765 m2.
• 2 SOS training sandboxes (900 m2).
• 5 beach volleyball courts
• Cafeteria-restaurant.
• Conference hall.
• 3 changing rooms: racket, rugby and swimming pool.
• Office building.
• Sanitary Service (3 defibrillators).
• Children's play area.
• Parking.
• 8 Madrid Federation Headquarters.