The Metropolis Building, The Most Photographed Dome In Madrid
For those visitors from all over the world who decide to set foot in Madrid, one of the biggest icons next to the Plaza Mayor or the Royal Palace is the mythical Gran Vía. Known for being the best place to go shopping, Gran Vía has in its first part with the famous Metropolis building. It is located at the crossroads with the famous Calle de Alcalá. Now, what is it that makes it so special? We will tell you!
The Metropolis building , one of the icons of Madrid
The Metropolis building in Madrid was inaugurated on January 21, 1911, after four years of construction. It was designed by French architects Jules and Raymond Février and their inspirations were obviously French buildings of the time. However, it was built by Luis Esteve Fernández-Caballero.
Many consider it as the building that marks the beginning of Madrid’s Gran Vía, although it has been shown that this is not entirely the case. In reality, the Metropolis building is already on Calle Alcalá, the continuation of Gran Vía. It is the Grassy building that is truly the first on the famous Madrid street.
Since its construction it has hardly undergone any changes. In fact, in 2016 a cleaning of its facade was prepared and the design of its lighting was improved. As a consequence, the Metropolis building is one of the most famous buildings that is also in perfect condition.
A little history
The building is located in the place where the “Casa del Ataúd” used to be, a narrow building that occupied the corner of the street, hence its peculiar name. To build the current building it was necessary to demolish 6 more houses.
Until 1921 it was considered the tallest building in Madrid. Also, one of the most representative places in the city. Today it is practically impossible not to see it in at least one postcard of the Spanish capital.
In the early 1970s, the insurer La Unión y el Fénix Español, which had owned it since its construction, sold it. It was then that it became part of the Metropolis company, hence its name.
Building architecture
Although the interiors of the building cannot be visited, the details can be appreciated from the outside. The style of the Metropolis building is neo-Renaissance style with French influences. It has a simple ground floor that becomes more complicated as it ascends in height.
The final finish of the Metropolis building is a tower with a dome that has golden details of no more and no less than 24 carats. It also has columns where the statues representing Commerce, Agriculture, Industry and Mining are located. In total, there are 11 different sculptures on the facade.
Along with the previous ones, there is also one that represents the Winged victory. Formerly there was a phoenix and the figure of Ganymede, the Greek god, but it was removed when it changed ownership. However, it can be seen in the Mutua Madrileña gardens, on the famous Paseo de la Castellana.
Why is the Metropolis building so special?
Today, all walkers who come to Gran Vía immediately recognize the famous Metropolis building. And this building occupies an ideal place in the capital of Spain. And not only that, but it also has many more reasons to be.
The first of these is its architecture: too much effort was made to give the building the grandeur it deserved given its privileged location. In fact, when the sun beams its rays directly towards the building it becomes the brightest place on the street.
In short, a show worth seeing both day and night. When the sun disappears, 205 lights are in charge of illuminating it to make it the ideal model for photographers.
If you dare to visit the capital, take a look at all its details. You will discover for yourself that the building has the ability to stand out from the rest. It may be near the Círculo de Bellas Artes, but it is impossible not to stop by and admire it at least once. Or not?
