5/5 Mercedes L. 4 years ago on Google • 345 reviews
Located
on
the
corner
of
Calle
Alcalá
and
Gran
Vía,
this
emblematic
building,
one
of
the
symbols
of
the
area,
was
designed
in
1905
by
the
French
architects,
Jules
and
Raymond
Février
to
house
the
La
Unión
and
Fénix
insurance
company,
although
the
final
work
was
carried
out
by
Luis
Esteve
from
Spain.
The
Metrópolis
Building
is
one
of
the
main
icons
of
the
Gran
Vía,
featuring
in
thousands
of
tourist
snapshots
who
photograph
the
view
of
this
avenue
from
Plaza
de
Cibeles.
Built
on
the
site
of
the
“casa
del
ataúd”
(tomb
house),
so
called
by
locals
because
of
its
narrow
frontage,
it
was
constructed
between
1907
and
1910
as
the
first
stretch
of
the
Gran
Vía
was
being
created,
and
it
was
officially
opened
on
25
January
1911.
This
sumptuous
construction
presides
over
the
beginning
of
the
Gran
Vía
with
its
neo-renaissance
façade
of
Corinthian
columns
and
a
slate
dome
with
golden
incrustations,
on
which
a
statue
of
Victoria
rises,
which
used
to
be
a
Phoenix,
symbol
of
the
insurance
company
that
initially
occupied
the
building.
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