Lonely Planet India – August 2019

LAIDBACKSURFROCK

echoesaroundavastiron-

framedtrainshed,oncepart

oftheDeliciasstationnearthe

centreofMadrid.Themusic,

acoverofNancySinatra’sTheseboots

aremadeforwalkin’bylocalband

Pauline&TheBigKahunas,mingles

withthesoundsofcuriohunters

discussingtheirfinds.Besidevintage

trainsfromthecity’srailwaymuseum,

hundredsofstallsdottheplatforms,

sellingeverythingfromcheese

andbreadtointricatediorama

dollhouses.ThisisMercadodeMotores,

Madrid’shippestfleamarket.

Firstheldin2012,ithasboomed,

andnowattractsaround50,000people

amonth,creatingnotonlyanew

shoppingcultureforMadrid

butalsoopportunitiesfordesigners.

ItziarAristrainwasajournalist

beforestartingPichíPichá,whichsells

pinafores.“Youfindthingshereyoucan’t

findanywhereelse.Ihadtheideafor

thisshop,andsixmonthslaterstarted

thebusiness.We’vejustcelebratedour

one-yearanniversary.Itwouldn’thave

workedwithoutamarketlikethisone.”

BornandraisedinMadrid,29-year-old

Itziarsaysthisisjustoneexampleofhow

hercityischanging.“Madridisbecoming

moreEuropean,”shesays.“Thebest

thingsfromacrossthecontinent

arecominghere,likenewmarkets

andstreetfood.It’sbecomingmore

populartospendtimeoutandabout.

Thecityismoreopen-minded

andcosmopolitan.”

Ithasbecomecommonplaceforart

andculturalspacestospringupinformer

industrialsites.Ashortwalksouth

ofElMataderoisaculturalcentre

ina1920sabattoir.Youstillenterthrough

thickcurtainsofhangingplasticstrips

but,thesedays,you’llfindacinema

behindthem,aswellasinternationally

mindedartgalleries.There’ssomuch

roominsideElMataderothatartists

oftencometoliveonsite,andhavespace

topursuetheirmostambitiousideas.

ClosertothecentreofthecityisSala

Equis,anoldcinemathatonceshowed

adultmovies(hencethename:‘RoomX’).

Castingoffitspast,ithasbecomeone

ofMadrid’sedgiesthangouts,theupper

floorconvertedintoa55-seatboutique

screeningroomshowingart-housefare.

Nowadays,ifyouseeanipple,youcan

beassuredthere’saplotjustification

forit.Themainspacehasbeenconverted

intoalaidbackbar,wherehipyoung

thingsloungeaboutindeckchairs,

half-watchingthesoundlessclassic

moviesprojectedoverhead.

“SalaEquishasbeenaphenomenon,”

saysSaraMorillo,ajournalistwhohas

workedwiththecinemasinceitfirst

reopenedinNovember2017.“Abig

supermarketcompanywantedtobuy

thisspacebut,instead,we’vemade

itintoaplacethatcreatesasense

ofcommunity.Thiskindofattitude

isimportanttopreservetheessence

ofMadrid.Wedon’twanttolooklike

London,orNewYork,orLosAngeles.

Wewanttopreserveourauthenticspirit,

andwedothatwithplaceslikethis.”

http://www.mercadodemotores.es

http://www.mataderomadrid.org

http://www.salaequis.es

1. Cocktailsat
   themarket


2. JavierMartínez
   andItziarAristrain
   of PichíPichá


3. Thevastcultural
   complexof El
   Matadero
   Facingpage:Live
   musicat Mercado
   doMotores

The

New

Culture

1
2

3

TRAVEL FOR CITIES MADRID, SPAIN

August 2019 73