Madrid No Frills

History

The inspiring wartime art of bomb-proofing windows

18 July 2019

Futurism had a mini renaissance during the Spanish Civil War. The traditionally fascist art movement was briefly revived in an unexpected and ironic manner: to protect the people from the fallout of General Francisco Franco's air raids.

Culture

Madrid’s secret art city in an abandoned military barracks

12 July 2019

One of the sites where Franco’s army would learn to build railroads, bridges and trenches now hosts an army of Madrid’s underground artists. Welcome to Zapadores (trenchers), Madrid's City of Art.

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From Franco to freedom of expression, and the fight that is far from over

6 July 2019

Secret gay nightclubs and bars were opening right under Franco's nose and the cornerstones of Chueca's infamous nightlife were being laid. By the time the dictator died, in 1975, Spain's marginalised communities were already organised and ready to begin the countrywide fight for freedom of expression.

No Frills

Bar El Trébol: a nostalgic time capsule to Spain’s most optimistic era

21 June 2019

It's 1979. Franco had died just four years earlier and the transition to democracy was well underway. Everything painted, moulded and built in this era would become a time capsule to Spain's post-dictatorship optimism. Or, at least, what still remains of this era.

History

Haunting map of Madrid’s forgotten bunkers reveals Western Front

11 June 2019

The sun is setting and I've spotted some wild rabbits – their white flickering tails really give them away. They're in an old trench digging diagonally into the pebbly soil, but possess no knowledge or concern over the possibility that they might be nesting alongside dismembered skeletons.

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“¿Cerveza?” The story of Madrid’s ‘tin men’

30 May 2019

What the lateros are doing is illegal and there are police everywhere. If they're caught selling beer, their stock, which they purchased themselves, will be confiscated. But, for the tin men, it's worth the risk.

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The Nigerian church in the industrial outskirts of Madrid

23 May 2019

In one of Madrid’s many stark industrial zones, a Nigerian church provides an oasis of soul for its community. On any given Sunday, the area would be empty and silent, but for the rich gospel being performed to a lively crowd of parishioners.

Culture

Latest obsession: Urban Sky Frames

9 May 2019

What is an urban sky frame? It's a worm's-eye view centring around the sky, almost seamlessly framed by urban structures (a term invented right here, right now).

Culture

Meet Madrid’s veteran micromerchants

26 April 2019

They're perfectly placed should you spontaneously decide to get your shoes shined, grab a bag of chestnuts or pick up a newspaper, but these gifts of the street are rewarded only to those who slow down. Allow yourself an extra five minutes to get to the nearest no-frills bar, and you'll witness our streets come alive with a multi-generational community of micro shops.

Madrid’s no-frills bars are a portal to Spain’s migrant boom years

16 April 2019

For the past few centuries, Spaniards from all over the country have been packing their bags, saying adios to their towns and villages and setting sail for the big city. When they arrive in Madrid, they disperse into many different lines of work, but there's one business over any other that harks back to the most recent migration boom. You guessed it: Madrid's no-frills bars.

History

Spain’s vanishing street typography is trending on Instagram

11 April 2019

I've spotted a growing movement on Instagram, and I seem to be part of it. Welcome to the Spanish community of retro typography hunters, who are acting fast to preserve Spain's unlikely works of street art.

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The story of the little bookstore that helped save Mercado San Fernando

8 April 2019

Five years ago, Mercado San Fernando was close to giving up the ghost, but this little bookstore arrived just in time. Now, the market is rampacked with locals enjoying craft beers, ramen and vegan food, but has it gone too far?

Haunting exhibition of the places Madrid has lost

3 April 2019

Welcome to the untimely ossuary of Madrid's extinct shops, bars and restaurants – an emotive collection of defunct signage from Madrid's long-lost traditional businesses.

History

Map of bombed Madrid reveals a city secretly scarred

26 March 2019

Enrique Bordes and Luis de Sobrón, creators of the map Madrid Bombardeado 1936-1939, are part of a growing movement to expose the lost stories of the Spanish Civil War. They're tracking down our city's hidden wounds and opening them back up in the hope that by redressing them properly, they can finally heal.

Culture

Behind the gates of Madrid’s secret, historical gardens

21 March 2019

Our city gardens are something to be treasured dearly, with so many being lost over the years. Hundreds of grassy nooks and micro orchards have become victim to our ever-expanding metropolis, leaving those that remain with an almost mythical status.