Things change names, but people keep calling them the same. A nickname given as a child transcends a lifetime and there are squares and buildings that are sometimes known by unofficial names. Now, after almost a decade (since 2016) calling it WiZink Center , the Palacio de los Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid will be renamed Movistar Arena.
Impulsa Eventos e Instalaciones has reached an agreement with Movistar on the cusp of the Spanish brand’s 100th anniversary. Presumably it will be the name of the building for the next five years. The amount needed to reach an agreement has not been disclosed.
It is known that Telefónica has other similar headquarters in Buenos Aires, Bogota or Santiago de Chile. They are some of the multi-purpose spaces in these three cities and share the same name. Emilio Gayo, president of Telefónica Spain, has celebrated the name change: “the Movistar Arena will undoubtedly be a great center of connection between people and the world of music, sports and entertainment, and a space where we will have the opportunity to deploy our technological and digital leadership”.
Other name changes in the capital
One of the latest name changes is perhaps that of Atletico Madrid’s home ground. While it is true that at first it was known as the Metropolitano stadium, it didn’t take long for the company Wanda Gruop to pay to put its name on it. The next name (Cívitas Metropolitano) lasted barely a couple of years and since October the stadium has been called Riyadh Air Metropolitano.
The Wanda Group also has a relative relationship with the change of name of the Edificio España. And is that this Chinese multinational conglomerate owned this building until 2017. From then on, the iconic block of Plaza España where a hotel is now located changed its name. Hotel Riu Plaza España.
Another area where there has been a substantial change of names is in the north of the city. The badly or erroneously named area of the four towers has seen the Torre Espacio (Space Tower) renamed Torre Emperador Castellana (Emperor Castellana Tower). The same with Torre Cepsa -formerly Torre Bankia and Torre Repsol.
There are many other spaces in Madrid that have seen their names change. This is the case of Espacio Ibercaja Delicias -formerly Teatro Goya- or the Palacio de Vistalegre -formerly known as Plaza de Toros de Carabanchel- or even the Caja Mágica -Madrid Arena de Tenis.