The Avenida de Portugal is the first stage of the redevelopment project along the Manzanares River after transferring the M-30 highway in the centre of Madrid underground. Officially opened in May 2007, the project is designed by Rotterdam based architects West 8 along with several local offices.
This 6 km grassy boulevard is intended to achieve "an imaginary trip to Portugal." The design takes the shape of abstract flower patterns, inspired by the blossoming cherry trees along the route from Madrid to Lisbon. In addition, traditional Portuguese calçada paving is laid out in a cherry flower pattern to create the illusion of walking on a carpet of flowers.
The redevelopment project will bring to the area green public spaces as well as removing the nuisance and redundancy of the highway traffic, creating a much more comfortable space for pedestrians. The amount of the cherry trees planted (around 700) shows a great respect for this plant that is culturally fundamental to the site. It also provides shade for pedestrians and people sitting in the continuous benches.
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