Val_Verde

Val Verde
Project box

Geographical area: Europe

Location: Madrid, Spain

City size: Large (between 1,000,000 and 5,000,000 inhabitants)

Promoter: Madrid City Council

Developer: Kadans Science Partner

Start year:

End-year:

Implementation phase: Implementation in progress

Project size: Building

Total area of intervention (in sqm): 10.940

Total investments (in USD): 40.5

Project overview

Val_Verde is a major urban regeneration initiative centred on the former Clesa bottling plant (Compañía Central Lechera Española) in the Fuencarral-El Pardo district, in north-west Madrid. The 10,940 m² building, situated on a municipally owned plot, stands adjacent to the Ramón y Cajal General Hospital, a strategic healthcare hub currently seeking space to grow its services and enhance the quality of the surrounding urban environment. The building consisted of spaces for industrial activities, administrative offices, and support facilities, such as changing rooms, kitchens, and laboratories. It was designed in 1961 by the great Spanish architect Alejandro de la Sota and is recognised as a significant work of Spanish industrial heritage. The prolonged abandonment of the site since 2011 has caused deterioration of the building’s structural elements, leaving the building no longer compliant with current regulatory and safety standards. At the same time, the site is disconnected from the surrounding neighbourhoods, effectively becoming an island: fast roads and the railway line fragment local connections and separate the site from the nearby Ramón y Cajal General Hospital and residential areas, limiting safe access and use of the space. 

To respond to the rising problems and preserve the industrial heritage, in 2018, the municipality included the building in the catalogue of Protected Buildings. Furthermore, in 2020, the city amended the General Plan, designating the CLESA plot as a district centre linked to the Ramón y Cajal Hospital and reserving it for institutional and tertiary uses. The City Council decided to submit the building and the surrounding area to the second edition of the international competition organised by C40, Reinventing Cities, with the aim of rehabilitating the building, giving it value and adapting it to current regulations. In 2021, the Val Verde proposal won the Reinventing Cities competition, initiating the regeneration pathway with the aim of bringing a protected industrial landmark back into productive civic use. The project proceeds as a public-private partnership in which the municipality retains ownership, and Kadans Science Partner, a developer of research and innovation campuses and the winner of the competition, leads development and operation. The construction licence was received in 2024, with works scheduled to begin in October 2026 and run for two years, supported by the developer’s investment commitment of around USD 40.5 million. 

The regeneration project upgrades the protected factory to contemporary construction standards and repurposes it as part of the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital’s support ecosystem. The intervention transforms the site into a multi-purpose R&D&I centre with facilities for teaching, research, and collaboration, shifting the building from a state of abandonment to active public use. A cultural centre of more than 1,000 m² brings science to a wider public through programmes developed with national and international partners, emphasising health, sustainability, equal opportunities, and accessibility to knowledge. Together with ground-floor commercial spaces and everyday services for the surrounding neighbourhoods, these additions strengthen social activity. A new, step-free pedestrian link connects the nearby railway station, the hospital, and the surrounding neighbourhoods, resolving the plot’s isolation and making access simple and safe. Economically, Val Verde attracts talent and dry-lab science firms, generating new job opportunities and sustaining employment in life sciences, professional services and venue operations. Environmentally, it relies on 100% renewable electricity with an on-site photovoltaic system, efficient systems that cut energy demand, a robust water strategy and nature-based solutions that improve climate comfort and biodiversity. 

The regenerated complex is planned as a mixed-use civic facility anchored to the hospital, bringing together institutional, public, commercial, recreational, and transport functions. Indoors, the functional mix comprises a 9,193 m² R&D&I centre, 1,349.97 m² of congress space for major events, a 538 m² incubator for early-stage activity, 1,240 m² of cultural facilities, a cafeteria, public services, and back-office areas to support operations, medium-stay accommodation, and generous indoor public spaces. Outdoor recreational areas include terraces, patios, and open public spaces surrounding the complex. Transport functions are provided by a new step-free pedestrian connection that links the railway station and the hospital to the project and surrounding neighbourhoods, together with an underground car park with about 1,200 spaces for workers and visitors.

Benefits

Val_Verde focuses on delivering a comprehensive R&D&I centre, a Co-lab incubator, flexible workspaces, and congress facilities connected to the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital. By providing turnkey, cost-efficient environments for dry-lab enterprises, such as e-health firms, CROs, and specialised consultancies, the project lowers market entry barriers, accelerates venture creation, and anchors high-value employment in life sciences, professional services, and event operations. In addition, the refurbishment phase stimulates the local economy through temporary construction employment and demand for locally sourced materials and services. 

The new congress facilities, including a 700-seat auditorium, host a steady program of events that attract delegates, partners, and investors, increasing spending on venue hire, production, catering, accommodation, and transport. This rise in visitor and tenant demand strengthens the district’s position as a hub for knowledge-intensive activities, improves occupancy rates and supplier revenues, and reinforces the business case for further investment, thereby enhancing the area’s overall economic attractiveness. 

The project delivers a broad set of environmental benefits by integrating circularity, energy efficiency, and nature-based solutions into the regeneration process. A core strategy is retaining and upgrading the existing structural frame, which avoids demolition of waste and the embodied carbon of new build. This choice is estimated to prevent around 2,600 tCO₂e compared with a rebuild, while material selections, such as luminous cement to reduce lighting demand and bioplastics to lower embodied impacts, further minimise the project’s environmental footprint. A dedicated waste-management plan for priority reduction, reuse, and recovery during both construction and operation, extending the lifespan of materials. 

Operational carbon emissions are reduced through a fully renewable energy supply: approximately 15% of electricity is generated on-site via roof-integrated photovoltaic panels, with the remainder sourced from a certified green provider. Energy savings are achieved through upgraded insulation and more efficient mechanical and electrical systems, which lower operational demand. Vegetation across the site contributes to carbon sequestration, approximately 200 tCO₂e, and around 300 m² of indoor greenery helps regulate the microclimate and improve comfort. 

Climate adaptation and resilience measures focus on water and landscape. The project is designed to save about 24,500 m³ of water annually through efficient fixtures, rainwater capture, aquifer use, and greywater recycling. Soil remediation and hydrogeological interventions, developed with Environmental Resources Management (ERM), protect underground resources. Nature-based solutions, including extensive green roofs and shaded outdoor areas, mitigate urban heat-island effects and enhance thermal comfort. 

Biodiversity is strengthened through the use of indigenous plant species in open spaces and dedicated areas for cultivation and small-scale urban agriculture, which support pollinators and contribute to a more resilient urban ecosystem.

Val_Verde demonstrates a strong commitment to the social dimension by placing civic engagement in science and health at the centre of the project while widening access to essential services.  

The project improves access to health and everyday services around the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital. Sustainable mobility and barrier-free access are provided through a new step-free pedestrian link which connects the railway station, the building, the surrounding neighbourhoods, and the hospital, and increases perceived safety on daily routes. Accommodations for students, clinicians and families, together with everyday commercial services, reduce travel and waiting burdens and make hospital visits less stressful. Public spaces around the building complex extend the opportunity for community gatherings to ensure the liveability of the neighbourhood and public safety. 

Inclusion is addressed through people-driven design and open academic programmes. Physical and cognitive accessibility standards enable people of different ages and abilities to use the building and its public spaces on equal terms. Academic programmes developed with partner institutions, such as the Autonomous University of Madrid, translate specialist knowledge into formats suitable for general audiences, so participation in science and health is widened beyond professional users. 

The adaptive reuse of the protected industrial landmark reinforces cultural identity and social cohesion. Rehabilitation retains the building’s character while assigning it a daily civic role for research, learning and public programmes. 

Val_Verde is pursuing BREEAM certification at the Excellent level, evidencing high performance across management, health and wellbeing, energy, transport, water, materials, waste, land use and ecology, pollution, and innovation. 

Finance model

The project is financed through a public–private partnership between Madrid City Council and Kadans Science Partner, a specialist developer of research and innovation campuses and the winner of the Reinventing City competition. The City Council retains ownership of the land and building while granting development and operating rights, ensuring a clear public governance framework and oversight throughout delivery. Kadans has committed approximately USD 40.5 million to bring Val Verde into full operational use. 

Madrid City Council has awarded Kadans Science Partner a 75-year concession agreement granting development and operating rights for the Val Verde project. Under this concession agreement, Kadans finances the full rehabilitation and functional adaptation of the protected building, commissions it in accordance with Spain’s Law on Public Administration Assets and its implementing regulations, and undertakes its management and maintenance throughout the concession term. The concession package also obliges the developer and operator to deliver complementary public-interest infrastructure, including a step-free pedestrian link connecting the site with adjacent neighbourhoods, new internal roads, and an underground car park. In return for these rights, Kadans pays the municipality an annual fee indexed to a percentage of the project’s turnover, following a transfer schedule established for the duration of the concession. 

References and Credits

Clesa Building. Winning project. Accessed on 20.11.2025  https://www.c40reinventingcities.org/en/professionals/winning-projects/clesa-building-1381.html 

Rehabilitación de la fábrica de Clesa en Madrid. Accessed on 20.11.2025 https://arquitecturaviva.com/obras/rehabilitacion-de-la-fabrica-de-clesa-en-madrid  

El Ayuntamiento convertirá la antigua fábrica de Clesa en un centro de innovación e investigación. Accessed on 21.11.2025 https://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/Actualidad/Noticias/El-Ayuntamiento-convertira-la-antigua-fabrica-de-Clesa-en-un-centro-de-innovacion-e-investigacion/?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=5fea90c34eeff710VgnVCM1000001d4a900aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a12149fa40ec9410VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD  

Kadans will invest €30M to create a science center in Madrid. Accessed on 21.11.2025 https://www.iberian.property/news/conferences/kadans-will-invest-eur30m-to-create-a-science-center-in-madrid/  

Rubio Arquitectura winner to transform the CLESA factory of Alejandro de la Sota. Accessed on 21.11.2025 https://www.metalocus.es/en/news/rubio-arquitectura-winner-transform-clesa-factory-alejandro-de-la-sota 

La fábrica de Clesa, de revolucionar Madrid en los años 60 a ser la clave en el desarrollo norte de la capital. Accessed on 21.11.2025 https://www.idealista.com/news/especiales/reportajes/2020/10/28/787654-la-fabrica-de-clesa-de-revolucionar-madrid-en-los-anos-60-a-ser-la-clave-en-el  

Antigua Fábrica Clesa en Madrid. Accessed on 24.11.2025 https://www.comunidad.madrid/cultura/patrimonio-cultural/antigua-fabrica-clesa-madrid#:~:text=La%20f%C3%A1brica%2C%20ubicada%20en%20el,los%20h%C3%A1bitos%20alimentarios%20de%20la  

Arrancan las obras de transformación de la fábrica de Clesa en un centro científico y de innovación tras la concesión de la licencia municipal. Antigua Fábrica Clesa en Madrid. Accessed on 24.11.2025 https://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/Actualidad/Noticias/Arrancan-las-obras-de-transformacion-de-la-fabrica-de-Clesa-en-un-centro-cientifico-y-de-innovacion-tras-la-concesion-de-la-licencia-municipal/?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=8326ba7c61679910VgnVCM100000891ecb1aRCRD&vgnextchannel=a12149fa40ec9410VgnVCM100000171f5a0aRCRD  

La transformación de la fábrica CLESA en un centro para innovación en Biomedicina y Salud es compatible con su declaración como Bien de Interés Cultural. Accessed on 24.11.2025 https://www.asebio.com/actualidad/noticias/proyecto-clesa-kadans-laboratorios 

Image: Kadans Science Partner. C40 Reinventing Cities. https://www.c40reinventingcities.org/en/professionals/winning-projects/clesa-building-1381.html