Plaza de España, in the very centre of Madrid

Plaza de España, which is located in the very centre of Madrid, stands out because of its unique and well known buildings. Maybe this square is not one of the most tourist places in Madrid. However, every Madrileño, if asked, would say that the city would never be the same without the atmosphere and the garden area of this square.

It is located in a key point because very close by there are essential places for visitors, such as Gran Vía, Templo de Debod, or Museo Cerralbo. Today, we will see some old photographs of the square that will show us more about its history and what it looked like decades ago. The last article in our section A Walk into the Past, was about Christmas time in the days of our grandparents. In this article, we will take another walk into the past and we will write about Plaza de España.

1911, KEY YEAR FOR PLAZA DE ESPAÑA

Plaza de España is located in the neighbourhood of Argüelles, just as Gran Vía and Calle Princesa. Some important streets like Leganitos, Ferraz or Bailén end in Plaza de España. It boasts of being one of the largest squares in Spain as it has nearly 37 square metres. In the XVI century, in the days of Felipe II, all of this space was taken up by vegetable gardens and arable land.

In the times of Carlos III, a convent was built and it became known as Convento de los Gilitos. However, this convent was never occupied, and later on José Bonaparte used it to store artillery and the cavalry, calling it the San Gil Barracks. At the beginning of the XX century, the barracks were pulled down . After having gone through several remodelations, in 1911 the final architectural project got started creating Plaza de España as it is at present. Moreover, it should be recalled that in 2017, the citizens voted and approved a project which would renovate the square. If this project is carried out, then the aspect of Plaza de España will change considerably.

TWO HISTORIC BUILDINGS

Torre de Madrid and Edificio España, both built in the 50´s, are historic buildings located in Plaza de España. We cannot consider them to be the most beautiful ones in the city, but with the passing of years they have become unmistable features of Madrid. Torre de Madrid, 142 metres high, was in its day the greatest and highest skyscraper in Spain.

This building was part of an ambitious project designed by the Otamendi brothers. Originally, the construction of more than five hundred shops inside had been planned. On the other hand, Edificio España is another iconic building in Madrid. It reached several different heights, up to 117 metres. In 2014, after a failed restoration project, its demolition was considered. However, thanks to a popular initiative, the building remains standing.