The shadow of the cypress is elongated...
Madrid has small high-quality bookstores such as Rafael Alberti, Naos, La Buena Vida, Antonio Machado, Pasajes, Panta Rhei or Tipos Infames; and I hope that the opening of this great space does not pose a threat, but a source of hope, in the possible survival and reactivation of the publishing market.
The paradise of all 'book lovers'
The bookstore in question is located on Calle Postigo de San Martín, a few meters from Plaza de Callao, one of the busiest areas in Europe . The rehabilitation has been very respectful of the building, a palace dating from the 19th century. Its interior houses a chapel and has beautiful coffered ceilings and even a crypt! Those in charge of carrying out such a delicate project have been the architects Ricardo Marco and Miguel Sal, who have articulated the four floors around a central patio where the the symbol of the bookstore: a towering cypress that rises between the walls of the patio , decorated with raised letters.
Marta Ramoneda and Antonio Ramírez are the entrepreneurs who, in 1996, they opened their first bookstore in Barcelona, and that already have seven offices between Madrid and Barcelona. In the capital they have been managing the bookstores of the Reina Sofía Museum and the Mapfre Foundation in Madrid for several years.
And between page and page, a snack
All the "Centrales" of Barcelona are located in unique spaces , which turn the search and purchase of a book into a moment of enjoyment and reflection. Both the soft modulation of light and the layout of the space between the shelves and the novelty tables allow the visitor stop calmly before the specimens , carefully read the back covers and flaps, evaluate the different possibilities and, serenely, make a decision.
In all your bookstores, In addition to the obvious, designer objects and objects of desire can be found which, in this case, range from a bottle of oil to small toys for children and even spare parts for a table football. And they are so proud of this revolutionary Spanish invention of the last century that, in a tiny room, a table football has been installed with two legs (instead of one, as is common in the rest of the world) to allow visitors to play.
Cultureteo and traditional games
In the cafeteria, a strategic meeting point , highlights the confectionery. But the most visited areas are "heaven", in the chapel, where children's literature is found, and "hell", in the crypt, where the opening of a very literary 'garito' is planned.
A bookstore, in general, is a place where people go to look for a tool, the book, that allows us activate the imagination , expand our dreams, read stories that bring us closer to other experiences, open our consciences and help us ask questions and aspire to a freer way of thinking. With the opening of La Central de Callao we have yet another place to travel to remote places without having to go too far.
The central has its headquarters in Madrid at calle Postigo de San Martín 8, 28013 Madrid.
You can also follow them on twitter ( @LaCentralenMad ) and Facebook .
In Callao, among cypresses, books and historic buildings