With art in its blood, Madrid has no shortage of beautiful buildings, where a blend of old and new architectural styles coexisting peacefully. Sure to please any architecture buff or even the ordinary joe, here is a list of some of the city’s architectural highlights:
Caixa Forum
A museum and cultural center that hosts a range of exhibitions, social conferences and workshops, Caixa Forum has many interesting elements. Redesigned and transformed from an old power station—its hallmark features being its apparent state of levitation, as well as the hanging garden, an excellent piece of botanical architecture, occupying one of its façades.
Address: Paseo del Prado, 36, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Banco de España
A prime and classic example of 19th-century Spanish architecture, the Bank of Spain features a number of classically-styled elements. It has been extended three times since it was built, with the new building being four levels above the ground and as well as extending four levels below, and occupies a grand total of around 5,000 square meters.
Address: Calle de Alcalá, 48, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Torres Blancas
In designing the Torres Blancas, Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza envisioned it to look like a growing tree. Completed in 1969, it is one of the most unique residential buildings in Madrid, providing a stark contrast to typical residential architecture. Like the vessels of a tree, it is covered vertically by staircases, lifts, and installations, and is surrounded by curved balconies that are grouped together, mimicking the manner of leaves on branches. There is even a large swimming pool on the roof terrace!
Address: Avenida de América, 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain
Museo ABC
Designed by Spanish architects Arranguren & Gallegos, this museum, originally a beer brewery, is a fantastic example of modern Spanish architecture. Its unique triangular windows are definitely the most striking feature of this building. A linkway connecting the building is paved with tessellated triangular glass and steel tiles, adding to its edifice.
Address: Calle de Amaniel, 29, 28015 Madrid, Spain
Palacio de Cibeles
Formerly the city's main post office and telegraph and telephone headquarters, it now serves as Madrid’s city hall. Deemed an Asset of Cultural Interest, its eclectic architecture style represents one of the earliest instances of modern Spanish architecture, drawing from a variety of schools of design. It is also home to CentroCentro, a new cultural centre featuring a wide variety of different programmes and activities.
Address: Plaza de la Cibeles, 1, 28014 Madrid, Spain
The Temple of Debod
One of the most culturally interesting pieces of architecture in Madrid, the Temple of Debod is an Egyptian temple dating back to the 2nd century BC. Originally built in Egypt, it was gifted to Spain by the Egyptian government, and deconstructed, transported and subsequently reassembled at its current location in Cuartel de la Montaña Park. While the inside is closed off to visitors, the facade of the temple, with its water features, are striking.
Address: Calle de Ferraz, 1, 28008 Madrid, Spain
Edificio Metrópolis
At the corner of Gran Vía lies one of Madrid’s grandest office buildings, the Metropolis Building. Designed by Jules and Raymond Février for the insurance company La Unión y el Fénix, it features a Beaux-Arts style, incorporating elements of French neoclassicism, as well as a touch of Gothic and Renaissance elements. Characterised by imposing statues, columns, and ornaments, it is extremely instagrammable.
Address: Calle de Alcalá, 42, 28014 Madrid, Spain
Plaza de Toros Monumental de Las Ventas
An old bullfighting ring that is still in operation (catch live bullfights during the season which runs roughly mid-May to September), its façade is characterised by it’s Neo-Mudéjar style (a revival of the Mudéjar style found predominantly in Southern Spain), trademarked by its horseshoe arches, arabesque tiling, as well as the extensive use of the abstract shaped brick ornamentations.
Address: Calle de Alcalá, 237, 28028 Madrid, Spain
Plaza Mayor
Rectangular in shape, the uniformity of the architecture of Plaza Mayor is its main highlight, surrounded by 237 balconies on the three-story residential buildings that face inward towards the Plaza.
Address: Plaza Mayor, 28012 Madrid, Spain
Catedral de La Almudena
The main cathedral of Madrid has an interesting history, for one, it stands on a site that used to be a mosque! The building is characterised by a variety of different styles ranging from Neoclassical, Neo-Gothic to Neo-Romanesque. While the inside is designed in a Neo-Gothic style, it is modern. The dome offers a great viewpoint to watch the sunset.
Address: Calle de Bailén, 10, 28013 Madrid, Spain
Palacio de Cristal
In El Retiro Park lies the magnificent Glass Palace, a conservatory made almost entirely out of glass. Reminiscent of London’s Crystal Palace, the structure was designed in a way that would allow it to be re-erected on another site, though it has remained here since it was constructed in 1887. While it has fallen out of use as a greenhouse, it now plays hosts to a range of temporary art exhibitions.
Address: Paseo de Cuba, 4, 28009 Madrid, Spain
Palacio Real
Inspired by sketches of Bernini for the construction of the Louvre in Paris, the Royal Palace of Madrid is massive, covering over 135,000 square metres of floor space and containing over 3,000 rooms. It is one of the largest European palaces, with its inside just as stunning as the outside. While initially modelled after French Baroque palaces, after its expansion in 1760, it also incorporated additional elements following the newer neoclassical style.
Address: Calle de Bailén, S/N, 28071 Madrid, Spain
