
Lines with art: L9. Classic murals, urban art and a tribute to elderly people
Among its stations we can see artistic representations of different styles and periods, from the classic murals by Atienza and Raventós, with a wide presence in the Metro network, to the recent works by Okuda and Rosh333 in Paco de Lucía and Paco Roca in Plaza de Castilla. And a fascinating curio: one of Metro's great muralists, Eladio García Santibáñez, surprises us in this line with a facet that is perhaps less well known, but in which he’s also excelled: sculpture.
Paco de Lucía
We begin our tour in the north and the last station to enter service on this line, in 2015: Paco de Lucía.
It’s presided over by a large mural by Okuda and Rosh333 and is entitled 'Entre dos universos' (Between two universes), in reference to the famous 'Entre dos aguas' (Between two waters) by the artist from Cádiz.
We begin our tour in the north and the last station to enter service on this line, in 2015: Paco de Lucía.
It’s presided over by a large mural by Okuda and Rosh333 and is entitled 'Entre dos universos' (Between two universes), in reference to the famous 'Entre dos aguas' (Between two waters) by the artist from Cádiz.
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Mirasierra
The decoration of Mirasierra commemorates the 25th anniversary of the creation of the Regional Transport Consortium, which was celebrated in 2011 coinciding with the inauguration of this station, and pays tribute to Madrid's public transport and the millions of people who use it every day. .
Herrera Oria
We're greeted in the Herrera Oria hall by a ceramic mural by Santiago Uranga dating from 1983 and dedicated to the press world, in reference to the nearby Ciudad de los Periodistas (City of Journalists).
Plaza de Castilla
In the L9 corridor we can see one of the most recent murals in the entire Metro network, the work of the Valencian illustrator Paco Roca, author of the graphic novel, 'Arrugas'. Inaugurated in the summer of 2020, it pays tribute to elderly people, one of the groups most affected by COVID-19, and reflects a scene of everyday life in a park with them as the main characters.
Duque de Pastrana
There's an iron composition in the Duque de Pastrana entrance hall created by one of the great Metro muralists, Eladio García Santibáñez in 1983. Numerous black squares of different sizes on a score, framed by two large circles, are depicted in the form of musical notes.
Pío XII
Pío XII station, meanwhile, has two murals, one in each hall. One of them is by Raventós and depicts a large sun illuminating the profile of a city presided over by a dove of peace. The other, also in ceramic, was made by Taller Atienza in 1978 and is an abstract composition based on large pieces of different sizes.
Colombia
We now go on to Colombia station, where you’ll see two colourful murals and a sculpture.
The murals were created in October 2021 during the 80th edition of the Madrid Book Fair, where Colombia was the guest country, and coinciding with the 140th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between Spain and Colombia. ‘Colombia diversa y vital' by Gabriel Calle Arango and 'Origen de las manos' by Vértigo Graffiti.
To add to that, at Colombia station hall, an airframe flies overhead. The work is entitled 'Madrid takes off' and is a life-size structure made by Vicente Patón and Alberto Tellería that transposes the 3D geometric images that would be displayed during the design of the aircraft on a computer.
Concha Espina y Cruz del Rayo
Two of Metro's great muralists are present in Concha Espina: Raventós, who shows us the writer's workplace, like the author after whom the station is named, and Santibáñez, with a mural of stone paint and cement.
Also by Raventós and Santibáñez are the murals that decorate the Cruz del Rayo station, the first in glazed ceramic and dedicated to the world of bullfighting, while the second one is made of iron and represents shapes in space.
Avenida de América
At Avenida de América station’s main hall you’ll see a mosaic by Santiago Uranga inspired by the arrival of Christopher Columbus, on 12 October 1492, on the island of Guanahaní, in the Antilles archipelago, named San Salvador shortly after.
Núñez de Balboa e Ibiza
We now move on to Núñez de Balboa, where a ceramic mural decorates the entrance hall to Line 9 from Plaza del Marqués de Salamanca. It was made at the Taller Atienza in 1983 and depicts a city drawn around a bridge, with buildings, green areas and various means of transport, including a train and a boat.
Also from Atienza's workshop is the cheerful ceramic mural that pays homage to the island of Ibiza in the station that bears its name.
Sáinz de Baranda
The Sáinz de Baranda station, on the other hand, has two murals, one by Santibáñez, in ceramic, and the other by Portuguese artist Mafalda M. Gonçalves, which pays tribute to all the women of the world through the different symbols of each continent. Lavender, which represents Europe, the lotus, which is identified with Asia, and the cantuta, dedicated to South America, are some of the work's particular standouts. It also includes an image of the sculpture The Victory of Samothrace on the struggle of women, as well as the victories already won.
Estrella, Vinateros, Artilleros y Pavones
In Estrella you can enjoy two murals by Raventós, both from 1980, and another two in Vinateros, these being by Santibáñez and Atienza and inspired by the world of wine. There are two other murals by Raventós that decorate the Artilleros station that are an homage to the artillery, and there's an abstract mural by the Atienza and Raventós workshop in which a striking red pupil observes passengers entering Pavones station.
Valdebernardo
Eladio García Santibáñez, author of numerous Metro murals, will surprise you with two sculptural groups made of iron in Valdebernardo. The first one consists of two symmetrical, abstract sculptures that open up to passengers like two fans, while the second one shows two figures made of different rings on triangular bases.
Rivas Urbanizaciones
On line L9B, the central platform at Rivas Urbanizaciones houses a composition of several vitrified enamelled plaques in which Naso González represents movement through the passage of time.
Arganda del Rey
And finally, arriving at Arganda del Rey, the southern end of the line, you’ll come across a large mural that includes an old text on the historical memory of Arganda: “E agora –dice el rey– que de aquí en adelante se ha de llamar Arganda del Rey”. (And now, says the king, it shall henceforth be called Arganda del Rey). The phrase is accompanied by a huge map describing the development of the city and historical photographs depicting events, people and customs from other eras.
If you want to know more, don't miss our cultural guide.