60 hot spots of Madrid’s architecture (the best guide to take a trip through history and design)
The heritage of the Community of Madrid is fascinating. Centuries of history are reflected in its buildings. These are the 60 most striking and important buildings of Madrid’s architecture. At the click of a button you can organize your getaway directly to the place you are more interested in.
The routes through Madrid’s architecture are another of the great tourist attractions the capital and the region offer. Strolling through the streets of many towns in the community turns into a journey through history. From the sobriety of the House of Austria to the Frenchified style of the Bourbons; from the best civil architecture of the 19th century to the modern skyscrapers of the companies that control the economy of the 21st century; from the imposing religious architecture, with convents and churches that are museums, to contemporary art centers… You can find it all in this selection, that gathers the rich architectural heritage of a very diverse and culturally rich community, maybe not as well known as it should be.
So that you can make the most of it, we propose a selection of some of the most emblematic, formidable and unique buildings.
Monuments and places architecturally beautiful and of great value, true Madrid icons visited and photographed by many people.
Take a walk through the Community of Madrid and enjoy all the hot spots of its architecture. Whether you are from Madrid or not, you will surely be surprised by a building you had not paid much attention to. So that’s it… let yourself be surprised and travel through history!
Madrid's architecture
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Real Monasterio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial
The famous and monumental Herrerian style monastery, built by Philip II in the foothills of the Sierra de Guadarrama, is the building that best summarizes the Spanish Golden Age. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, it’s a must (16th century).
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El Palacio de Longoria
It is a jewel of Madrid’s modernist architecture, and the building is one of the best representations of the architecture of that period.
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Cine Doré
Currently home to the National Film Archive, this cinema opened in 1912, and is another building of architectural interest, modernist style and very well preserved.
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CaixaForum Madrid
An example of spectacular architecture. The building is located on the Paseo del Arte in Madrid, opposite the Royal Botanical Gardens and next to the Prado, Thyssen-Bornemisza and Reina Sofia Museums.
Sitio web: https://caixaforum.es/es/madrid/home -
Casa de la Panadería
The most significant building in one of the most beautiful places in Madrid, the Plaza Mayor (15th century).
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Iglesia de San Jerónimo El Real
Commonly known as Los Jerónimos (16th century).
Sitio web: https://www.parroquiasanjeronimoelreal.es/ -
Monasterio de Las Descalzas Reales
Located in the Plaza de Las Descalzas, it is an old Plateresque Renaissance palace from the end of the 16th century, with an impressive collection of works of art.
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Palacio de la Bolsa
An emblematic building of European architecture in the heart of Madrid, in the Plaza de la Lealtad. Inaugurated by the Queen Regent Maria Cristina, it was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest.
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Casa y Torre de los Lujanes
Located in the Plaza de la Villa, it is the oldest building in Madrid (15th century).
Sitio web: https://www.racmyp.es/academia/academia.cfm -
Escuela de Minas
A palace of Velázquez Bosco. Its ornamentation, mythological sculptures, ceramics and murals are magnificent.
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Palacio de Cristal
An example of the so-called ‘iron architecture’. Surrounded by horse chestnut trees, this elegant building is one of the most typical images of the Retiro Park in Madrid (19th century).
Sitio web: https://www.museoreinasofia.es/museo/sedes -
Palacio de Velázquez
Palace covered with iron and glass vaults, by the same architect who built the Crystal Palace, Ricardo Velázquez Bosco (19th century).
Sitio web: https://www.museoreinasofia.es/museo/sedes -
Ministerio de Agricultura
The former Palacio de Fomento stands out for its Renaissance traces.
Sitio web: https://www.mapama.gob.es/ -
Plaza de Las Ventas
The main bullring in Madrid is of neo-Mudejar style.
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La Real Fábrica de Tapices
Historical seat of the eighteenth century. Founded by Felipe V, this building, of neo-Mudejar style, and its garden still preserve most of its original elements.
Sitio web: http://realfabricadetapices.com/sede/ -
Banco de España
One of the most representative buildings of Madrid, and of Spanish architecture, of the 19th century.
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El Palacio del Senado
Sober building in the Plaza de la Marina Española, from the beginning of the 19th century. Originally, in the 16th century, it was both a school and a convent.
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Real Basílica de San Francisco El Grande
It has the largest dome in Spain and the fourth largest in Europe. One of the most impressive monuments of the capital.
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Museo del Prado
Building designed by Juan de Villanueva as the Cabinet of Natural Sciences by order of Charles III, currently houses the Prado Museum, and contains one of the best art galleries in the world (18th century). It first opened its doors to the public in 1819.
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Biblioteca Nacional
Majestic building of neoclassical style of the nineteenth century, that houses bibliographic collections of incalculable value.
Sitio web: http://www.bne.es/es/Inicio/index.html -
El Palacio de las Cortes
The current Congress of Deputies is a 19th century neoclassical building, of great beauty and harmony, and one of the best known buildings in Madrid.
Sitio web: https://www.congreso.es/web/guest -
Círculo de Bellas Artes
Designed by architect Antonio Palacios and declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, it is currently one of the most important private cultural centers in Europe.
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Torres Blancas
An icon of Spain’s organicist architecture, by the famous architect Sáenz de Oiza.
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El Palacio de Linares
Headquarters of the Casa de América, it is located in a privileged place in Madrid, the Plaza de Cibeles. A neo-baroque style building, an example of the palatial architecture of the nineteenth century and one of the best preserved palaces.
Sitio web: http://www.casamerica.es/el-palacio -
Real Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid
Designed by Juan de Villanueva, it is considered the quintessential neoclassical building that was part of the cultural and scientific constructions carried out by Carlos III in the 18th century.
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Museo Arqueológico Nacional
Founded by Isabel II. This great neoclassical building was one of the most ambitious architectural and cultural projects of the 19th century.
Sitio web: http://www.mecd.gob.es/404.html -
Instituto Cervantes
Designed by architects Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, it offers one of the best views of Alcalá Street. With its four caryatids and monumental Ionic capitals, it is one of the most spectacular buildings in Madrid.
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Panteón de Hombres Ilustres
Neo-Byzantine style building, designed by the architect Fernando Arbós y Tremanti in the 19th century. Very unique, houses in its interior funerary monuments and remains of numerous illustrious figures of Spanish society.
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Palacio de Cibeles
One of the first examples of Madrid’s modernist architecture. The imposing building, of more than 30,000 square meters, and the current headquarters of the Madrid City Hall, was designed by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi.
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Museo Naval
Building of neo-Gothic influences and one of the most attractive of the Paseo del Prado, which has in its luxurious interior what many consider the most spectacular and beautiful imperial staircase of Madrid. A museum that surprises for its variety and richness.
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Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural
Designed by the architect Fernando Higueras, it is popularly known as “the crown of thorns”. The headquarters of the Institute is a unique and fascinating building.
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Palacio de Villahermosa
It houses the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, and it was enabled by the architect Rafael Moneo, who, respecting the proportions of the old palace, brought natural light into it. It’s a perfect example of neoclassical style in Madrid, in a magical spot, the paseo del Prado.
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El faro de Moncloa
It is a 110-meter high tower with a 92-meter elevator by Salvador Pérez Arroyo. A former lighting and communications tower located in University City. The current viewpoint offers visitors excellent views of Madrid. A new tourist attraction of the city to enjoy a fully special experience.
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Sabatini y Nouvel
A former hospital founded in the eighteenth century on the initiative of Charles III, the building called Sabatini is the current headquarters of the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. A neoclassical building with alternative spaces. The Nouvel building, the architectural complex designed by Jean Nouvel as an extension, houses a free access library specializing in art, with more than one hundred thousand books.
Sitio web: https://www.museoreinasofia.es/museo/sedes -
San Antonio de los Alemanes
A hidden gem of the seventeenth century in the center of Madrid, in Malasaña. A clear example of madrilian Baroque, hides a treasure inside: the crypt, the main altarpiece, the sacristy and the decoration, entirely with fresco paintings by the best Italian artists.
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Monasterio de Santa María de El Paular
The first Carthusian monastery built in the 15th century in Castile, in the heart of the Lozoya Valley, in Rascafría. A splendid monument of great beauty in which the magnificent Gothic altarpiece in silver alabaster of the late fifteenth century, the two sixteenth-century chairs, 54 large paintings by Vicente Carducho and the great flamboyant Gothic cloister by Juan Guas stand out.
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La Vela
The BBVA banking city was designed by the same Swiss firm that designed CaixaForum, Herzog & Meuron, in the Las Tablas neighborhood. A symbol of Madrid’s contemporary architecture and a new icon.
Sitio web: https://www.bbva.com/es/la-nueva-sede/ -
La Caja Mágica
Multifunctional complex and multipurpose stadium in the Parque Lineal del Manzanares, next to the river, designed by Dominique Perrault. It hosts cultural, sports and leisure events. It’s architecture is unique and significant.
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Fundación Francisco Giner de los Ríos
A historic institution and an example of the coexistence of different architectures. On General Martínez Campos Street, the spectacular architectural complex has been preserved, rehabilitated and expanded, recovering the spirit of the Institution. It is worth visiting the garden and the different buildings.
Sitio web: https://www.fundacionginer.org/ -
Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando
An 18th century neoclassical building renovated by Diego de Villanueva, who suppressed the baroque details of the original construction by Churriguera. The Royal Academy preserves an exceptional collection of paintings very representative of the different stages of Goya.
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Cuartel Conde Duque
At the beginning of the 18th century, the construction of the Cuartel de Guardia de Corps began. A monumental building in the heart of Madrid’s downtown district, considered the last great example of Madrid architecture before the introduction of the Italian style. In an area with a very active leisure and cultural offer, it is one of the great cultural centers and spaces of Madrid.
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El Palacio Infante Don Luis en Boadilla del Monte
It was commissioned by the Infante de Borbón, Carlos III’s younger brother, in the 18th century. It is an imposing salmon-colored building with an extensive art collection, and it is the work of the architect Ventura Rodriguez.
Sitio web: https://palaciodeboadilla.es/ -
Estación de Atocha
Built in the 19th century, the Atocha –or Mediodía– station was the first train station of Madrid, and is considered a work of art of nineteenth-century railway architecture. Work of the architect Alberto de Palacio y Elissague, the current structure was designed by Rafael Moneo. Upon entering the station it is surprising to find a tropical garden with more than 7,000 plants.
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Castillo de Manzanares el Real
Next to the Santillana reservoir, the Castle of Manzanares el Real is a example of the Castilian military architecture of the 15th century. Of this beautiful medieval historic-artistic monument, it is worth mentioning the collection of 17th century Flemish tapestries, exhibition rooms and Gothic-style armor.
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Edificio Metrópolis
Located between Gran Vía and Alcalá streets, the Metrópolis building, due to its location and elegance, is one of the most admired and photographed, by day and night, by tourists who visit us. At the beginning of the 20th century, it was one of the first high buildings in Madrid. This icon of the city is a beautiful work of French architects Jules and Raymond Février.
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El Templo de Debod
Very close to the Plaza de España, this is one of the great treasures of Madrid, photographed extensively. It is one of its most curious and visited monuments. The Egyptian temple from the south of the country, from lower Nubia, was a gift from the Egyptian government when the Aswan Dam was built.
Sitio web: http://templodedebod.memoriademadrid.es/ -
Hotel Palace
Former palace of the Dukes of Medinaceli, now the Westin Palace Madrid, in the heart of Madrid’s Paseo del Arte, is a luxurious hotel with a lot of history. Declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, the majestic centennial building of French classical style, commissioned by King Alfonso XIII, was inaugurated in 1912.
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Palacio del Marqués de Cerralbo
A 17th century palace-museum. Close to the Plaza de España, the Temple of Debod and the Royal Palace, the classical building is the current Cerralbo Museum, one of the few examples in Madrid that show in its rooms the original decorative setting of the daily and social life of an aristocratic residence of the nineteenth century.
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El antiguo Hospicio madrileño de San Fernando
Created in the times of Felipe IV, it houses now the Museum of History of the city. The eighteenth-century building shows one of the most unique baroque facades of Madrid, by Pedro Ribera. Visiting its more than 2,000 meters (and about 60,000 objects) is one of the best ways to get to know Madrid.
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El Palacio del Marqués de Villafranca
It was built by Pedro Álvarez de Toledo, and it is now the current headquarters of the Royal Academy of Engineering. In the heart of the Austrias neighborhood, the 17th century palace houses some treasures such as the rooms redecorated in the 19th century by the architect, sculptor and painter Arturo Mélida, the same architect who decorated some of the rooms of the Ateneo de Madrid.
Sitio web: http://www.raing.es/es/content/el-palacio -
T-4
An example of spectacular architecture, and fascination with technology, is the Madrid-Barajas Adolfo Suárez airport terminal by British architect Richard Rogers, together with Spaniard Antonio Lamela: the T-4. One of the most iconic constructions of world architecture in recent decades.
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Museo del Ferrocarril
The former Delicias Station of the 19th century, designed by José Antonio Calleja, is the present-day Railway Museum of Madrid. The building, an exponent of 19th century industrial architecture, was declared a historic-artistic monument, and the old passenger building of the station became the central element of the museum.
Sitio web: https://www.museodelferrocarril.org/ -
Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela
On the Paseo de la Chopera, the Palacio de Cristal de la Arganzuela, a former municipal slaughterhouse, was restored and rehabilitated, and now houses a greenhouse and botanical garden, with species from all over the planet, more than 9,000 plants. Built by architect Luis Bellido y González, it is another example of the so-called ‘iron architecture’ of the 19th century.
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Matadero Madrid
A splendid example of industrial architecture. The former slaughterhouse and municipal livestock market of Madrid, from the early twentieth century, is now a cultural center with sustainable buildings and unique warehouses, with a very complete program in each of its spaces (Central de Diseño, Cineteca, Naves, Plaza Matadero, Casa del Lector, etc.).
Sitio web: https://www.mataderomadrid.org/arquitectura -
Real Colegiata de San Isidro y Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo
In the heart of La Latina neighborhood, the 17th century Real Colegiata de San Isidro y Nuestra Señora del Buen Consejo, one of the best examples of Madrid’s Baroque style. It was built by the Jesuit architects Pedro Sanchez and Francisco Bautista, and renovated by one of the architects who changed Madrid during the Enlightenment, Ventura Rodriguez, and converted in the eighteenth century in Royal Collegiate.
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Teatro Real
In one of the most monumental spots of Madrid, it’s another unique building of the nineteenth century emblematic of the capital. The Teatro Real houses inside outstanding works of art, large halls and one of the most advanced stage boxes of all theaters in Europe.
Sitio web: https://www.teatroreal.es/es/edificio -
La Universidad de Alcalá de Henares
Established in the 15th century by Cardinal Cisneros, it was the first planned university city in the world. One of the jewels of the Spanish Renaissance is its splendid Plateresque façade, by Gil de Hontañón, the three Patios -Santo Tomás de Villanueva, Filósofos and Trilingüe- and the Paraninfo, where the Cervantes Prize is awarded every year.
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El palacio de Juan de Goyeneche
A house-palace from the early 18th century in the town of Nuevo Baztán, in the southeast of the Madrid region. Of baroque style, the solemn and sober building was built by the architect José de Churriguera and is a Historic-Artistic Monument.
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Archivo y Biblioteca Regional de Madrid
The current headquarters of the Archive and Regional Library of Madrid, from the early twentieth century, was the complex of the brewery El Águila. It’s a set of historic buildings very well preserved, curious to contemplate, all of them made of bricks with tiles and neo-Mudejar appearance. Today it is one of the most impressive libraries in Europe.
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Fundación Telefónica
Located on Madrid’s Gran Vía, the neo-baroque style building of the Fundación Telefónica, designed and built by Ignacio Cárdenas, was at the time the first skyscraper in Europe, and has been a key landmark of the city.