CRAIG CIGNARELLI REPORTS ON THE TENNIS FROM THE “MAGIC BOX” IN MADRID FOR 10SBALLS

Written by: Staff on 4th May 2016

CRAIG CIGNARELLI REPORTS ON THE TENNIS FROM THE "MAGIC BOX" IN MADRID FOR 10SBALLS |

Photo by 10sBalls

Caja Magica “The Magic Box” sits in the Southeast Corner of Madrid, Spain. 3.1 million Spaniards surround the place, along with a melting pot of non-Spanish Europeans who secretly want Rafa to lose. For $392 million dollars, French architect Dominique Perrault designed the sixteen court facility which includes, five courts with a covered area for 350 spectators each, six practice courts, a pool, headquarters for the Madrid Tennis Federation, a tennis school, clubhouse, press center, stadium boxes and other private areas and restaurants. In case Rafa, Fed or Djoker wants to bat a few around, a covered area for 20,000 spectators shades three indoor /outdoor courts. But none of this gets to the crux of the CM.

When he built the place in 2009, the architect first laid down an artificial lake to surround the building. Squared off at the corners, the water flows around the entire facility and reflects sunlight into the Magic Box. The building is covered in Perrault’s originally- designed metallic mesh, which reflects shimmering sunlight during the day and pours out the inside lighting at night. An addition to the mesh, metal makes up much of the stadium, including the lower seating areas, the base, and the walls. When viewed from the outside, it’s a bit like a spaceship with neon advertising.

The main stadium sits eight meters above ground. It’s upper tier hosts translucent seats, each stained see-through red. As spectators file in, the place pulses like a beating heart.

The massive and retractable roof covers three courts and presents a shadow reminiscent of the Independence Day movie. When the roof is open, the sunlight dances off the seats, the walls and the water in ways that make you wish a harp was nearby.

Inside the stadium, the clay is red this year, which leads some to wax nostalgic about the days when billionaire tournament-owner Ion Tiriac had the courts done up in blue – the Smurf slaughter was just a rumor. Red and white flowers surround the entire court and all of the ball kids are runway models. When not looking at the models, players leave ten foot long skid marks upon the dirt and by the end of a match, it looks like a Monet painting.

There’s an eerie feeling here. The glass and metal stretching out at all angles over the tranquil lake is like a Transformer stepping into a zen garden. Add in the virtual reality booths at every turn and there’s an almost unnerving sense that something isn’t quite right. But then, that’s what Perrault was trying to capture. The tranquility of a beautiful landscape interrupted by the violent swings and athletic force of world-class athletes. It is this blend of peace and chaos that makes Madrid’s Magic Box a unique locale.