[MAD] SKYLINE games by PKMN [pac-man]

MonuBENCH = Monument & urban element "transformer" conceived as a civic added-value object able to activate the public space of the city. What about experiencing directly Heritage appropriating it by their own citizens and neighbours sharing real experiences? The new idea by Spanish architecture office and collective, PKMN [pac-man], is the reinterpretation of city skyline, isn’t just a symbol of a city’s identity, reality it’s also rich ground for reinterpretation and play. The team has taken 4 iconic buildings from Madrid and have – Transformers-style – turned them into 4 great games. A slide, a game of mini-golf, benches and a ping-pong table.

Imágenes cortesía de PKMN. Fotografía por Javier de Paz García.

Skyline iconicity is most frequently used as an easily recognizable motif suitable to decorate t-shirts or souvenirs, a novelty to lure some unprepared tourists fed up with Cibeles and statues. John McHale was quite clear when he stated that millions of copies of Parthenon reproduce in small scale and sold all over the world were much more important than the original historical building in itself. It’s all just urban marketing, cities losing their minds trying to own the biggest one…

Madrid plays this game of urban identity definition through the image of very large buildings protruding above city skyline to be seen from far away. In spite of not being clearly recognizable from any outside location, Madrid not only shows off its traditional skyline, but also has increased it in recent years by the erection of four towers, a symbol of “the city that could have been better (but it wasn’t)”.

However, skyline ability to represent the identity of a city is out of doubt, that’s why it is unavoidable to reinterpret it. [MAD] SKYLINE games propose turning some representative buildings of Madrid Skyline into recreational-participatory facilities to fit out Centro Centro. It is a prototype for the activation of “public property” and the appropriation of Madrid identity by its citizens and visitors, Kio Towers turned into a double and simultaneous Ping-Pong “KIOPONG”, Picasso Tower as an active bench “PICASSHELVES”, Torrespaña building as a mini-golf “PIRUGOLF” or España building as nine slides “SPAINSLIDE”. A new skyline occupied by Madrilenians having fun…[MAD] SKYLINE games.

An installation on "USER GUIDE" exhibition, curated by Negocios Raros. Centro Centro [Madrid, Spain].

Exhibition: User Guide
Centro Centro, Palacio de Telecomunicaciones, Madrid [Spain]. September 22th to December 21th
Curated by Negocios Raros [http:negociosraros.com/instruccionesdeuso/]
Architectural Installations:
[MAD] SKYLINE games by PKMN
INTERNATIONAL URBAN FACTORY by Taller de Casquería
LIVING ROOM by Guillermo Trapiello

"Being Rem Koolhaas" | PKMN.
published in: M-027 | AA.04. | p. 36

"Faked ArchID’S" | PKMN.
>published in: M-027 | AA.04.[2] | p. 40

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More information

[pacman] Architectures. PKMN

PKMN is an arch office and collective based in Madrid [Spain] since 2006.

Graduated at Technical University of Madrid, they have been awarded by Università La Sapienza(Rome), Instituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia, Ecole d'Architecture de Paris Val-de-marne, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia in Spain.

Carmelo Rodríguez, David Pérez, Enrique Espinosa y Rocío Pina have collaborated with many offices and practices: Juan Herreros, SOLID (Soto y Maroto), Javier Revillo, MI5 Arquitectos, Enrique Krahe, Andrés Jaque, José Mª Ezquiaga, ZooHaus, F8 Arquitecturas, Carlos Arroyo y Emilio Luque. They do research into technology - typology - construction (applied to consolidated urban contexts, local memory and contemporary cultures); simultaneously they love exploring new architectural fields connecting citizens, identity, pedagogy, communication, game, action and cities, specially throughout strategies of participation, mediation and social innovation, and experimental active learning process. They`re fulfilled diverse projects in Spain such as New Teruel Market Square, Oficina Gratuita de Arquitectura, Europan, Innopia, El Madrileño del Año, Plan Extinción or Museo MASJ in Alcázar de San Juan.

They develop an action and pedagogical workline called "City creates City" (with Diana Hernández, Alejandra navarrete, Carlos Mínguez and Almudena mestre, who have worked with PKMN in another projects) dealing with Spanish universities, portuguese, mexican and argentinian, such as La Coruña, Sevilla, UCJC Madrid, Chihuahua, Mexico DF, Buenos Aires, cities as Caceres, Toledo, Merida or Burgos and companies as Fagor or AENA. They have taken part in exhibitions such as XIII Bienal Buenos Aires, EME3 (CCCB-BCN), Archivo de Creadores (Matadero-Madrid) FreshMadrid & FreshLatino (COAM, I.Cervantes), AlNorte2010 or Post-post-post, and their work has been published by Mark, Pasajes, AV, METALOCUS, El País, El Economista, Arquire, Europan, Fundación Arquia, Future and other media.

Published on: January 4, 2013

Cite: "[MAD] SKYLINE games by PKMN [pac-man] " METALOCUS. Accessed

<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/mad-skyline-games-pkmn-pac-man> ISSN 1139-6415