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MAD-009 / Cibeles and Alcalá

Puerta de Alcalá

Plaza de la Independencia, s/n, 28001 Madrid

Puerta de Alcalá · Archive photograph
Puerta de Alcalá · Archive photograph · Photographed on 2017-05-18 · Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

01 / Building stories

One building, the roots of everyday life.

Sabatini’s gate opened in 1778. Five openings organise passage, while differently decorated faces once addressed the inside and outside of the city.

It now stands in a traffic roundabout. Observe from a safe pedestrian area; the map point is not a walkable entrance.

What to look for on site

From the pavement, count the five openings and compare their shapes.

Documentary source ↓

02 / I Ching reflections

Jie · Boundaries and passage

Water above a lake suggests boundaries that make flow possible.

60Jie
Jie · Boundaries and passageAbove: Kan · Water. Below: Dui · Lake. Read six lines from bottom to top ↑. Solid: yang; Broken: yin.

Above: Kan · Water

Below: Dui · Lake

Read six lines from bottom to top ↑

Solid: yangBroken: yin

Zhou Yi · Commentary on the Image · Chinese excerpt

泽上有水,节。

Water is above the lake: Jie.

Original text and context ↗

Read the figure first

Capacity has a measure; both excess and shortage affect use. Jie opens rules, capacity and rhythm to discussion: whom do they support, and what room do they leave for different needs?

Original text and context

The excerpt gives a natural image from the classic. Its application to this building is Xiaoxiong's contemporary proposal, not architectural intent or evidence of historical influence.

Return to the building

Clues in the space

Openings mark a boundary while giving passage a shape.

Observe on site

From the pavement, count the five openings and compare their shapes.

Take it into daily life

Which boundary makes movement easier rather than harder?

A question for the Bench

How would you design a welcoming gate?

Go to the Bench →

Cultural reading, not divination. The connection is editorial and does not establish historical I Ching influence.

03 / Nearby life

A nearby table

Find a table nearby · filters and directions →

Dining map records within three kilometres in a straight line of the reference point. Walls, railways and slopes may lengthen the journey. Check the entrance and whether the business is open.

The map may omit businesses. Records do not confirm trading status, menus or bookings. Records with an address are shown by default; you can include the others.

04 / The travellers’ Bench

Sit for a while. Say what you noticed.

How would you design a welcoming gate?

Open this building’s Bench →

Sources and photo licence

About the building

Location and distances

Puerta de Alcalá: 40.419998, -3.688745. Used to find what is nearby; the public entrance is not yet confirmed.

Photo source and licence

Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original photograph page ↗

Cropped preview; see the original photograph. The photograph does not confirm the venue’s present condition.

Sources consulted: 2026-11-04