Madrid’s Top 10 : Architectural Sights – Top 10 Places to See Azulejos Tiles

1. Palacio Real

   The
   Royal Palace marks a decisive break with the austere tastes of Spain’s
   Habsburg rulers. Felipe V had been brought up at Versailles where the
   International Baroque style was in vogue. Architect Filippo Juvara died
   two years into the project, but his successor, Gian Battista Sacchetti
   retained the Baroque spirit .

   
   

   
   
   

   Palacio Real

2. Plaza Mayor

   The inspiration for the square was El Escorial’s courtyard. But the plans of architect Juan de Herrera were only realized 30 years in 1619 later by Gómez de Mora .

   
   

   
   
   

   Plaza Mayor

3. Palacio de Comunicaciones

   Home
   of the Madrid Town Hall from 2007, this extraordinary building was the
   first major commission of Galician architect Antonio Palacios and his
   partner, Joaquín Otamendi. The style of this palace (1905–19) has
   influences ranging from Spanish Plateresque to Art Deco. The most
   striking feature of the interior is the stained-glass roof.

   • Plaza de Cibeles

   
   

   
   
   

4. Palacio Longoria

   Art
   Nouveau is usually associated with Barcelona rather than Madrid and, in
   fact, this superb example is by the Catalan architect José Grases
   Riera. Bold and original in design, take a close look at the florid
   sculptural detail, the sensuous curves and the balustrade – all typical
   Art Nouveau features .

5. Círculo de Bellas Artes

   The
   Fine Arts Club dates from the 1920s and is Antonio Palacios’ Art Deco
   masterpiece. The crowning feature is the statue on the roof,
   representing the goddess Minerva, patroness of the arts. Pay the one day
   membership fee and you can take in the other highlights – the
   staircase, theatre, ballroom and the Salón de Fiestas, with its painted
   ceiling .

6. Metrópolis

   One
   of Madrid’s signature buildings, Metrópolis was designed in 1905 by the
   French architects Jules and Raymond Février. The high point literally
   of this lovely Neo-Baroque confection is the bronze wreaths garlanding
   the cupola, which glint in the sunlight .

   
   

   
   
   

   Metrópolis cupola

7. Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real

   Though
   much altered over the years, this 16th-century church is an important
   architectural monument. It has also been a place of refuge for Spanish
   kings and queens through the ages. The current king, Juan Carlos I, was
   crowned here in 1975 .

8. Residencia de Estudiantes

   Founded
   in 1910 as a liberal college, early alumni here included artist
   Salvador Dalí and poet Federico García Lorca. Designed by Antonio
   Flórez, the main building was nicknamed “transatlantic” by students
   because the balustrade resembled the rail of an ocean liner.

   • Pabellón Transatlántico, Calle del Pinar 21

   • Metro Rubén Darío

   • Closed to the public

9. Torre Picasso

   The
   tower’s main claim to fame is that, at 157 m (515 ft), it is the
   tallest building in Madrid. Opened in 1989, it is the work of Japanese
   architect Minoru Yamasaki, designer of the ill fated World Trade Center
   in New York.

   • Plaza de Pablo Ruíz Picasso, Paseo de la Castellana

10. Puerta de Europa

    The
    “Gateway to Europe” is a modern version of a triumphal arch. Twenty-six
    storeys high, the leaning towers of glass and metal were completed in
    1996.

    • Plaza de Castilla

    • Metro Plaza de Castilla

    
    

    
    
    

    Puerta de Europa

Top 10 Places to See Azulejos Tiles