Audioguía Metropolis Building and Gran Vía en Madrid
✓ Audioguía Oficial Inteligente con Geoposicionamiento, Historia Detallada y Consejos de Visita.
Historia y Arquitectura de Metropolis Building and Gran Vía
At the turn of the 20th century, Madrid sought to affirm its standing as a major European capital. To achieve this vision, the city embarked on one of its most ambitious urban transformations: opening Gran Vía, an elegant boulevard modeled after Parisian avenues that cut through the dense historic center. At the exact nexus where this brilliant new thoroughfare branched off from the ancient Calle de Alcalá, the insurance firm La Unión y el Fénix Español commissioned a monumental headquarters designed to project economic triumph and aesthetic refinement.
Following an international competition, the design was awarded to French brothers Jules and Raymond Février, who conceived a masterwork of Beaux-Arts design. Construction was later supervised by Spanish architect Luis Esteve and completed in 1911. The building instantly mesmerized the public with its refined eclectic personality: a bold circular corner layout crowned by a giant Corinthian colonnade, flanked by allegorical statues representing Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Mining, sculpted by acclaimed masters including Mariano Benlliure.
However, the building's true visual signature is its legendary scaled slate dome, crafted from French quarries and highlighted with delicate gold leafing. Originally, the summit was topped by a bronze sculptural group depicting the Phoenix carrying Ganymede. When the insurance company Metrópolis acquired the property in 1972, the former owners removed the original statue. In 1975, it was replaced by the stunning Winged Victory crafted by sculptor Federico Coullaut-Valera, a white-bronze figure poised as if ready to soar over the rooftops of Madrid.
Today, the Metropolis Building is not merely the gateway to the historic Gran Vía, but the most iconic backdrop in the city. Watching the sunset cast warm hues across its gilded dome, while light trails from city traffic weave below, offers an unforgettable glimpse into a city continuously reinventing itself while preserving its timeless early 20th-century grandeur.
🎙️ Transcripción Oficial de la Audioguía
At the turn of the 20th century, Madrid sought to affirm its standing as a major European capital. To achieve this vision, the city embarked on one of its most ambitious urban transformations: opening Gran Vía, an elegant boulevard modeled after Parisian avenues that cut through the dense historic center. At the exact nexus where this brilliant new thoroughfare branched off from the ancient Calle de Alcalá, the insurance firm La Unión y el Fénix Español commissioned a monumental headquarters designed to project economic triumph and aesthetic refinement.
Following an international competition, the design was awarded to French brothers Jules and Raymond Février, who conceived a masterwork of Beaux-Arts design. Construction was later supervised by Spanish architect Luis Esteve and completed in 1911. The building instantly mesmerized the public with its refined eclectic personality: a bold circular corner layout crowned by a giant Corinthian colonnade, flanked by allegorical statues representing Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Mining, sculpted by acclaimed masters including Mariano Benlliure.
However, the building's true visual signature is its legendary scaled slate dome, crafted from French quarries and highlighted with delicate gold leafing. Originally, the summit was topped by a bronze sculptural group depicting the Phoenix carrying Ganymede. When the insurance company Metrópolis acquired the property in 1972, the former owners removed the original statue. In 1975, it was replaced by the stunning Winged Victory crafted by sculptor Federico Coullaut-Valera, a white-bronze figure poised as if ready to soar over the rooftops of Madrid.
Today, the Metropolis Building is not merely the gateway to the historic Gran Vía, but the most iconic backdrop in the city. Watching the sunset cast warm hues across its gilded dome, while light trails from city traffic weave below, offers an unforgettable glimpse into a city continuously reinventing itself while preserving its timeless early 20th-century grandeur.