IFEMA Exhibition Centre
| IFEMA Exhibition Centre | |
|---|---|
Entrance to IFEMA | |
Location of the exhibition centre within Madrid | |
| Location | Barajas, Madrid, Spain |
| Coordinates | 40°28′04″N 3°37′02″W / 40.46778°N 3.61722°W |
| Owner | IFEMA |
| Built | 1980– |
| Inaugurated | 1980 |
| Opened | 1980 |
| Enclosed space | |
| Parking | 14,000 |
| Public transit access | |
| Website | |
| www | |
The IFEMA Trade Fair Centre or Juan Carlos I Trade Fair Centre (Spanish: Recinto ferial de IFEMA) is a permanent trade fair facility in the Barajas district of Madrid, Spain. It is operated by Spanish commercial fair organiser IFEMA.
The building has 200,000 m2 of covered exhibition space distributed across twelve pavilions, a convention center of more than 10,000 m2, and the necessary spaces and facilities for the optimal development of the activities held there, such as a meeting area, an auditorium for 600 attendees, numerous restaurants, and 14,000 parking spaces.
History
It began operating in 1980. For a time, IFEMA-organized events were held in the pavilions of the Casa de Campo peri-urban park. In 1991, King Juan Carlos inaugurated a new fairground in a developing area called Campo de las Naciones. Over time, pavilions were added to the complex.[1][2] In the same Campo de las Naciones, next to the fairgrounds, is the Municipal Congress Palace,[2] formerly managed by municipal company Madridec (acronym for Madrid Espacios y Congresos),[3] which also managed other event spaces in the city.[4] Madridec went bankrupt in 2013, dissolving as a company, with its assets and debts transferring directly to the City Council.[5]
Other uses
Following the Spanair accident, which occurred on August 20, 2008, a makeshift funeral home was set up in pavilion number six of the IFEMA exhibition center, where the bodies of the deceased were taken.[6]
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the joint construction of a IFEMA Hospital was announced on March 20, 2020, by the Community of Madrid administration, the Ministry of Health, and the Military Emergency Unit, with a maximum capacity of 5,000 beds and another 500 in the Intensive Care Unit.[7] Pavilion 14 had previously been converted into a shelter to accommodate homeless people during the pandemic.[8] Two days later the first patients began to arrive,[9] and by March 28 there were already 581. [10] By this date, pavilions 5 and 9 were operational, 7 would be soon, and 1 and 3 are reserved in case they are needed. Pavilion 10 is used as a warehouse.[10]
References
- ^ Alcaide, Soledad (June 28, 2005). "Ifema aprueba abrir un túnel bajo la M-11 para unir su recinto al terreno de Valdebebas" [Ifema approves opening a tunnel under the M-11 to connect its complex with Valdebebas]. El País (in Spanish).
- ^ a b "El Rey inaugurará hoy el recinto ferial, que acogerá cuatro millones de visitas" [The King will inaugurate the new fair complex today, which will host four million visitors]. El País (in Spanish). December 20, 1991.
- ^ García Gallo, Bruno (March 14, 2014). "Arreglar la seguridad del Palacio de Congresos le cuesta un millón a Botella" [Fixing the Congress Palace costs Botella one million]. El País (in Spanish).
- ^ "La empresa Campo de las Naciones se llamará Madrid Espacios y Congresos" [The Campo de las Naciones company will be called Madrid Espacios y Congresos]. El País (in Spanish). May 9, 2006.
- ^ García Gallo, Bruno (July 30, 2013). "La quiebra de Madridec deja otro agujero de 400 millones al Ayuntamiento" [Madridec's bankruptcy leaves another 400 million hole for the City Council]. El País (in Spanish).
- ^ "153 muertos en un trágico accidente aéreo en el aeropuerto de Barajas" [153 dead in a tragic plane crash at Barajas Airport]. Cadena SER (in Spanish). August 20, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
- ^ Remacha, Belén (March 20, 2020). "El desborde de la sanidad madrileña obliga a desplegar un hospital de campaña en IFEMA con 5.500 camas" [The overflow of Madrid's healthcare system forces the deployment of a field hospital at IFEMA with 5,500 beds]. elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ de Vega, Luis (March 24, 2020). "Las plazas del albergue para personas sin hogar de Ifema pasarán de 150 a 300" [The number of places at the Ifema homeless shelter will increase from 150 to 300]. El País (in Spanish).
- ^ De Vega, Luis (March 22, 2020). "Llegan los primeros pacientes al hospital abierto en los pabellones de Ifema" [The first patients arrive at the hospital opened in the Ifema pavilions]. El País (in Spanish). Retrieved March 28, 2020.
- ^ a b EFE (March 28, 2020). "Ifema atiende ya 581 pacientes y sumará 300 en las próximas horas" [Ifema already serves 581 patients and will add 300 in the next few hours]. elDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved March 28, 2020.