Architecture of Madrid

Madrid's architecture is special because it mixes old and new. Even with modern buildings, many neighborhoods still look like they did a long time ago. One of the most famous places is the Royal Palace of Madrid, a grand building where kings and queens once lived.

The city also has beautiful parks and museums. Buen Retiro Park, founded in 1631, is a big green space where people can walk and relax. Along Paseo del Prado is the Golden Triangle of Art, home to three amazing museums: the Prado Museum, the Reina Sofía Museum, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. These museums hold some of Spain's most important art.

Another well-known spot is the Cibeles Palace and Fountain, which is a symbol of Madrid. The city's buildings show many different styles from many years of history.

Medieval and Renaissance period

Very little medieval architecture remains in Madrid, and most of it is found inside the Almendra Central. Historical records show that the city once had walls and a castle (the Alcázar) where the Royal Palace stands today. Some of the few remaining medieval buildings include the mudejar towers of the San Nicolás and San Pedro el Viejo churches, the palace of the Luján family in Plaza de la Villa, the Gothic church of St. Jerome, and the Bishop's Chapel.

Madrid also does not have many examples of Renaissance architecture, except for the Cisneros house near the Plaza de la Villa, the Bridge of Segovia, and the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, which has a simple outside but holds beautiful art inside.

Casa de los Lujanes [es]

Casa de Cisneros

Habsburgs transform Madrid into a capital city

When Philip II moved his court to Madrid in 1561, many changes began to turn the town into a proper capital city. One of the first changes was the Plaza Mayor, designed by Juan de Herrera and Juan Gómez de Mora. It was known for its balanced and simple look. They also built the new Alcázar, which became one of the kingdom’s most impressive royal palaces.

During the time of the Habsburgs, many historic buildings were built in Madrid. These buildings were mostly made of brick and had simple outside looks but beautiful inside designs. Juan Gómez de Mora built important places such as Casa de la Villa, Prison of the Court, the Palace of the Councils, and the Royal Convent of La Encarnación. The Buen Retiro Palace was built by Alonso Carbonel and had lovely rooms painted by famous artists during the time of Philip IV, including Velázquez, Carducci, and Zurbarán. The Imperial College became a key school run by the Jesuits, and its church’s dome was copied across Spain because of its clever use of affordable materials.

Pedro de Ribera was a leading architect before the Bourbon era. He brought Churrigueresque style to Madrid, known for its very detailed decorations. Some of his best works include the History Museum, the Cuartel del Conde-Duque, the church of Montserrat, and the Bridge of Toledo.

The Bourbons

When the Bourbons came to power, Madrid began a new chapter in its history. The old Alcazar of Madrid, which had been burned down, was replaced with a grand new building called the Royal Palace of Madrid. This palace was designed to match the style of French architecture and was started by King Philip V of Spain. Although the original designer, Filippo Juvarra, passed away before construction began, another architect finished the project.

King Charles III of Spain focused on making Madrid beautiful and turning it into a major European city. He built many important places, including the Prado Museum, originally meant for natural sciences. He also created the Puerta de Alcalá, the Royal Observatory, beautiful gardens, and several grand buildings. The Paseo del Prado became a lovely street with gardens and statues. Despite challenges like wars and political changes, Madrid kept growing, and some older, simple houses called corralas still remain in areas like Lavapiés.

Modernization

From the late 1800s until the Civil War, Madrid grew and built new neighborhoods and monuments. In the middle of the 1800s, Madrid expanded under the Plan Castro, creating areas like Salamanca, Argüelles, and Chamberí. Arturo Soria designed a special road called the linear city. Architects like Ricardo Velázquez Bosco built beautiful places such as the Crystal Palace. Other important buildings include the Bank of Spain, the start of the Almudena Cathedral, and Las Ventas Bullring.

In the late 1800s, new architectural styles appeared. Architects like José Urioste Velada and José López Sallaberry created grand gates and houses. The early 1900s brought Modernismo, a style similar to Art-Nouveau, with buildings like the Palacio Longoria. Antonio Palacios built many famous structures, including the Palace of Communication and the Fine Arts Circle of Madrid. The famous Gran Vía street also began in this time, featuring buildings in many different styles.

Francoist dictatorship

When the war ended and Franco's forces entered Madrid, the new mayor encouraged people to work hard to make Madrid a grand capital. In 1939, architects met to plan how the city would be rebuilt. They wanted buildings that showed strong, traditional Spanish style, inspired by old masters like Juan de Herrera and Juan de Villanueva. One example is the Ministry of the Air, designed by Luis Gutiérrez Soto, which looks like an older Spanish palace.

During these early years, many buildings were designed to look impressive and grand, mixing old Spanish styles with some modern ideas. However, because the country was still recovering from the war, many big plans could not be fully completed. Still, some important buildings were built, showing a mix of old and new styles.

Recent architectural developments

In 1992, Madrid celebrated being the Capital of Culture, but it did not create a lasting symbol like other cities did during big events. Important projects from the early 1990s included reopening the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and renovating Atocha Train Station by Rafael Moneo.

In the late 20th century, skyscrapers began appearing in Madrid, such as Torre Picasso and the Gate of Europe. The Cathedral of the Almudena was also completed in the 1990s, along with the National Auditorium of Music.

In recent years, Madrid has seen new buildings like the Interpretation Centre of New Technologies and CaixaForum Madrid. The city also built the four tallest skyscrapers in Spain, forming the Cuatro Torres Business Area. New bridges cross the Manzanares river, and work began on an International Convention Centre.

Madrid Barajas International Airport Terminal 4, finished in 2006, is one of the largest airport terminals in the world. It was designed to make travel easier for passengers with plenty of natural light.

The Madrid Nuevo Norte project aims to reshape part of the city around Chamartín railway station with new skyscrapers, a Metro line, and renewed land.

Sculpture

The streets of Madrid are full of beautiful outdoor sculptures. The Museum of Outdoor Sculpture, found on the Paseo de la Castellana, shows many abstract artworks, including the Sirena Varada (Strander Mermaid) by Eduardo Chillida.

Since the 1700s, the Paseo del Prado has been decorated with large, classic fountains like the Fuente de la Alcachofa (Fountain of the Artichoke), the Cuatro Fuentes (Four Fountains), the Fountain of Neptune, the Fountain of Apollo, and the Fountain of Cybele. All these fountains were designed by Ventura Rodríguez.

Equestrian statues are also important in Madrid, beginning with two from the 1600s: a statue of Philip III in the Plaza Mayor by Giambologna, and a statue of Philip IV in the Plaza de Oriente, planned by Velázquez and built by Pietro Tacca.

Many parts of the Buen Retiro Park feel like sculptures themselves, including The Fallen Angel by Ricardo Bellver and the Monument to Alfonso XII by José Grases Riera.

Some old neon signs have also become historic landmarks, like Schweppes in Plaza de Callao and Tío Pepe in the Puerta del Sol.

Religious architecture

Catholic churches

Madrid has many important Catholic churches, some of which are among Spain's most valuable religious artworks.

The oldest church still standing is San Nicolás de los Servitas, with its oldest part, the bell tower, dating back to the 12th century. Another old church is San Pedro el Real, known for its tall brick tower.

St. Jerome Church is a gothic church near El Prado Museum. It was built in the early 1500s by order of the Catholic Monarchs. The monastery next to it no longer exists, but its cloister remains. Recently, it was renovated to display neoclassical artworks from the museum, including sculptures.

St. Isidore Church was built between 1620 and 1664 for a school run by the Jesuits. Its dome is special because it uses a wooden frame covered in plaster, making it very light. It served as Madrid's cathedral from 1885 to 1993 while another cathedral was being built. Inside, you can still see the tomb of Saint Isidore Laborer, Madrid's patron saint.

The Royal Convent of La Encarnación is a beautiful Augustinian convent founded in the early 1600s by Queen Margaret of Austria. The building’s design is very simple and plain, but inside it is richly decorated. It holds important artworks and shrines.

San Francisco el Grande Basilica is a large neoclassical church from the 1700s with one of the widest domes in Christianity. The Cathedral of Santa María la Real de la Almudena is Madrid’s current cathedral. It was completed in 1993 and mixes many styles, including neoclassical, neo-Gothic, and neo-Byzantine.

Bridges, viaducts, water supply and tunnels

There were no bridges over the Manzanares River in early Madrid; instead, people used fords or temporary bridges. Small bridges were built later, but they often needed fixing after floods. Important bridges like the puente Toledana and the puente Segoviana were mentioned, but strong, lasting bridges weren’t built until Madrid became the capital in the 16th century.

The first major stone bridge, the puente de Segovia, was built between 1574 and 1584 under King Philip II. For many years, Madrid got its water from an ancient system called viajes, which used underground channels. By the mid-1800s, this system had grown to over 124 km. As the city grew, a new water system was needed, leading to the construction of the Canal de Isabel II in 1858, which brought water from the Lozoya River.