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Gran Vía is an upscale street known as Madrid’s Broadway. It cuts through the heart of the historic center of Madrid.
Introduction to Gran Vía
Gran Vía runs east to west for 1.3 kilometers (0.81 miles). The street was developed in 1904 as a connection between Plaza de España and Calle de Alcalá. Several historic buildings had to be demolished during its construction from 1910 to 1929, but many impressive modern buildings took their place. It’s full of some of Madrid’s best shopping along with several hotels, restaurants, and theatres.
In this post, I’ll start at the east end of Gran Vía. I’ll continue west to introduce some of the most interesting buildings along the street, then finish at Plaza de España.
Highlights of Gran Vía
At Calle de Alcalá, we’ll start walking west down Gran Vía. The street turns to the northwest when it reaches Plaza del Callao. It ends at Plaza de España.
Edificio Metrópolis
At Gran Vía and Calle de Alcalá is the iconic Edificio Metrópolis. It opened in 1911 for La Unión y el Feníx, an insurance company that dates back to 1864. French architects Jules Février (1842-1937) and his son Raymond designed the building. The cupola has 30,000 leaves of 24 carat gold. Technically, the building isn’t on Gran Vía but it’s considered an introduction to the street.
Edificio Grassy (Gran Vía 1)
Continuing along is Edificio Grassy, which was built between 1916 and 1917. It was designed by architect Eladio Laredo (1864-1941) and is officially the first building on Gran Vía. It’s actually two independent buildings joined by a central hall. The building has hosted the upscale Grassy Jewelers since 1952 as well as a museum of antique clocks.
Gran Vía 6
Across the street is Gran Vía 6, which was built by architects José María Mendoza Ussía (1886-1943) and Aragón Pradera. Construction took two years and it opened in 1919.
La Estrella Insurance Building (Gran Vía 7)
On the next block is the La Estrella Insurance Building, built between 1917 and 1922 by architect Pedro Mathet (1878-1936). The first floor was used as offices while the upper floors contained residences. The central cupola on the façade was removed in 1953.
Apartments and Offices for Rafael Sánchez (Gran Vía 16)
At Gran Vía 16 is the Apartments and Offices for Rafael Sánchez (Viviendas y Oficinas para Rafael Sánchez). It was constructed between 1914 and 1916 . The architect was Julio Martínez-Zapata (1863-1953). One of the highlights is a Neo-Baroque tower on the façade.
Hotel Círculo (Gran Vía 24)
Hotel Círculo is at the end of the next block, occupying #24. It was built between 1918 and 1924 by Spanish architects Joaquín (1890-1848) and Luis Sainz de los Terreros (1876-1936). The building was originally the Circle of Merchants and Industrialists Union. It was converted to a boutique hotel in 2017 and is currently run by Marriott.
Telefónica Building (Gran Vía 28)
Two buildings down is the Telefónica Building (Edificio Telefónica). It opened in March 1929 after three years of construction under Spanish architect Ignacio de Cárdenas (1898-1979). At 14 floors and 89 meters high, it was one of Europe’s first skyscrapers and the tallest building on the continent until 1940. During the Spanish Civil War, Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) sent his reports from there. The building was originally the headquarters of Telefónica, a telecommunications company, but has housed the Telefónica Foundation (Fundación Telefónica) since 2012. It hosts art and science exhibitions.
Madrid-Paris Building (Gran Vía 32)
Further along the street is the Madrid-Paris Building (Edificio Madrid-Paris). It was built between 1921 and 1924 and occupies the largest block of space along Gran Vía. The architect was Teodoro de Anasagasti (1880-1938). The building housed the first department store in Madrid.
Hotel Atlántico (Gran Vía 38)
On the next block is the Hotel Atlántico, built between 1920 and 1923 by Spanish architect Joaquín Saldaña (1870-1939). It’s one of the iconic hotels of Madrid, and features a tower with a cupola on one corner. The exterior is designed in the French Eclectic style while the interior is decorated in the Neoclassical style with 19th century tapestries and furnishing. The building is nine stories high.
Plaza del Callao
Plaza del Callao is at the point where the street turns northwest. It’s named for the Battle of Callao, which took place in May 1866 between the Spanish navy and the Peruvian army. It was originally laid out in 1861 and opened in June 1866, but had to be reformed greatly with the construction of Gran Vía. The plaza was rebuilt between 1917 and 1922 and was completely pedestrianized in 2009.
The pedestrian streets of Calle de Preciados and Calle del Carmen lead from Plaza del Callao all the way to Puerta del Sol. There are several shops along each street. Calle de Preciados is one of the most expensive places in the world to rent space.
Adriática Building (Gran Vía 39)
The first building of note on the east side of the plaza is the Adriática Building (Edificio La Adriática), which features a clock and cupola. It was designed by Luis Sainz de los Terreros and constructed between 1926 and 1928.
Cine Callao
On the other side of the plaza is Cine Callao, which opened on December 11, 1926. The Jazz Singer was screened there on June 13, 1929, as the first “talkie” shown in Spain. The building’s architect was Luis Gutiérrez Soto (1900-1977). It has lost a few of its original decorative elements.
Press Palace (Gran Vía 46)
Across the street north of the plaza is the Press Palace (Palacio de la Prensa). It was built between 1925 and 1929 by Spanish architect Pedro Muguruza (1893-1952). The design was influenced by the Auditorium Building in Chicago.
Edificio Capitol (Gran Vía 41)
Finally, there’s Edificio Capitol, formerly Edificio Carrión, which sits on the west side of Plaza del Callao right on Gran Vía. It opened on October 15, 1933, after 2 ½ years of construction. The architects were Luis Martínez-Feduchi (1901-1975) and Vicente Eced y Eced (1902-1978). It displays the city’s iconic neon Schweppes sign and is also known as the Capitol Building (Edificio Capitol).
Plaza de España
Plaza de España is a large plaza in Madrid at the western end of Gran Vía. It features one of the city’s most famous monuments as well as two of its tallest skyscrapers.
Plaza de España was originally known as Plaza de San Marcial. It was originally an orchard north of the Royal Palace where the San Gil Barracks (Cuartel de San Gil) were built beginning in 1789. The barracks were demolished between 1908 and 1909, and Plaza de España was developed in 1911.
Cervantes Monument
In the center of the plaza is the Monument to Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). It was designed in 1915 by Rafael Martínez Zapatero (1865-1937) and Lorenzo Coullaut Valera (1876-1932). They won a public contest for the project to honor the 300th anniversary of the writer’s death. The monument was inaugurated on October 13, 1929, although it was still unfinished. Behind the monument is a fountain.
The monument stands 34 meters high and is carved out of granite. In the center is a seated Cervantes overlooking bronze statues of his two iconic characters, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. They overlook a reflecting pool.
Edificio España
A few important buildings sit on Plaza de España. The most prominent is Edificio España, which opened in 1953 after a 5-year construction project. The architect was Julián Otamendi (1889-1966). At 25 floors and a height of 117 meters (384 feet), it was the tallest building in Europe until 1957 when it was overtaken by the Torre de Madrid across the street.
Edificio España formerly housed a 360-room hotel, 300 offices, and 184 apartments. It was renovated beginning in 2017 and reopened as the Hotel Riu Plaza España in 2019. The lower 3 floors contain retail space while the rest of the building contains 585 hotel rooms, event space, 2 restaurants, a rooftop pool, and a skybar.
Torre de Madrid
The Torre de Madrid was built between 1954 and 1957 and has 36 floors. It was designed by Julián and José María Otamendi and at 142 meters was the tallest building in Europe until 1967. The first nine floors are owned by Barceló Hotels while everything above is fully residential.
Casa Gallardo
On the western corner of Plaza de España is Casa Gallardo. It was built between 1911 and 1914 by sisters Esperanza and Asunción Gallardo and designed by Federico Arias Rey. The building is one of the city’s best examples of Art Nouveau architecture.
Royal Asturian Mining Company Building
On the southern corner of the plaza is the Royal Asturian Mining Company Building (Edificio de la Real Compañía Asturiana de Minas), the former headquarters of an important mining company that no longer exists. It was designed in a French style by Manuel Martínez Ángel (1866-1933) and built between 1891 and 1899. The building will be converted to a social and cultural center with work expected to be complete sometime in 2025 (as of August 2024).
Temple of Debod
A short walk west of Plaza de España is the Temple of Debod (Templo de Debod). Madrid might seem an odd place to find an authentic ancient Egyptian temple, but theres an interesting story behind it.
The Temple of Debod was originally constructed around 200 BC about 15km south of Aswan, Egypt, not too far from Philae Temple. In 1960, due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam, the temple was under threat of destruction.
Thanks to Spain’s efforts in preserving the temple of Abu Simbel, Egypt decided to donate the temple as a sign of gratitude. It was carefully dismantled and rebuilt in Parque del Oeste, one of Madrid’s largest public parks, and was unveiled to the public on July 20, 1972. It’s one of the few ancient Egyptian temples that can be found outside of Egypt and the only one in Spain.
From the temple, it’s possible to get good views of the city. It’s easy to spot the Almudena Cathedral and the Royal Palace.
Mountain Barracks Monument
On the site where the Temple of Debod now sits, the Mountain Barracks (Cuartel de la Montaña) once stood. These military barracks were built in 1863. They were notorious for being the place where the July 1936 military uprising against the Second Spanish Republic began in Madrid. After the Spanish Civil War, they were left in ruin and later demolished.
At the steps leading up to the temple is the Monument to the Fallen in the Mountain Barracks (Monumento a los Caídos en el Cuartel de la Montaña). It’s dedicated to those killed during the uprising and depicts a mutilated man in the center of a wall shaped like sandbags. The monument was unveiled the same day as the temple.
