Palacio de Cristal

The glass walls were covered with curtains on May 10th, 1936, when five thousand people witnessed Manuel Azaña proclaimed president of Spain's Second Republic. That transparent palace became an opaque chamber for history. The Palacio de Cristal before you—soaring 24 meters on Paseo de Cuba—defied every architectural rule of its time. Architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco designed this marvel in 1887 for the General Exhibition of the Philippines, completing it in just five months. The cast-iron frame from Bilbao paired with prefabricated glass panels was revolutionary... he borrowed this modular technique directly from Joseph Paxton's 1851 Crystal Palace in London. Notice the ceramic tiles adorning the brick base; Zuloaga, Spain's renowned ceramist, crafted this intricate pattern you see beneath your feet. Inside, Greek-cross vaulting and glass ceilings flood the open space with ethereal light. Once it showcased exotic Philippine vegetation and, more troublingly, fifty islanders—Spain's first "human zoo," a darker chapter in this building's gleaming facade. The pond beside it in Retiro Park remains an integral part of this composition, reflecting what visitors come seeking. Currently closed for restoration until 2027, this iron-and-glass monument endures as Madrid's most photographed architectural rebel, a symbol of nineteenth-century ambition meeting an impossible dream.