Monuments and buildings
Casa Dos Portugueses
Besides shops, hotels and restaurants, there are also very important historic monuments and buildings on the Gran Vía. There are twenty in total and we will show you four of them.
This building actually consists of two separate commercial buildings that the architect Luis Bellido González conceived as a unit. The first one was built between 1919 and 1920. It has got four floors, the first three ones are for commercial and industrial premises, and the last, for owner's residence, laundry and storage rooms. The second building is a place for business. It was built between 1920 and 1922. It presents a similar pattern as the previous one, although with a different ending for its last floor, there is a tower covered by a dome. The floor of both buildings are structured with metallic materials and large windows. The facade is a combination of ceramic bricks and limestone.
Edificio Metrópolis
Gran Vía route map
Gran Vía is the main street of Madrid. Shops, cafés, cinemas, bars, theatres, banks, historic facades, fast food restaurants... are focus on a same street of the capital. The avenue is divided into three sections, with a total of 1,316 meters. It starts in Alcalá street and ends at España square. Throughout the 20th century, Gran Vía has witnessed much of the history of Madrid and the economic and social development of a city which has become one of the most modern and cosmopolitan capital of the world. Hotels and shops of souvenirs are due to the abundance of tourists who visit Gran Vía, stay there or buy some gifts from Spain. A striking thing about Gran Vía is that it is a street where ancient and modern things coexist daily, and people of all the nationalities and ages, from different cultures and religions walk on it at 24 hours of the day. Gran Vía is always full of people. Between 50.000 and 70.000 cars run everyday on it.
This building was begun to build in 1905 following the plans of two French architects, Jules and Raymond Fevrier. In 1972, it was acquired by its current owner, the Metropolis company. The height of the building reaches 45 meters and it has six floors and two basements. In 1996, the facade, the window of the main staircase and the relief of the dome were restored and covered with 30.000 loafs of 24 carat gold. Casino militar The casino was designed and built by the architect Eduardo Sánchez Eznarriaga, between 1914 and 1917, coinciding with the inauguration of the first section of Gran Vía. It was designed as a place of entertainment and sport for military officers. The building has a trapezoidal plant and it is structured around a central courtyard. There are large reading rooms, meeting rooms, lounges and dining rooms inside.
Cine Callao This cinema was originally conceived by the architect Luis Gutiérrez Soto. It was constructed a first building for offices, with a height above the second building, which was converted to a place of entertainment. It was installed a summer movie theater on the terrace. Inside the second building, a cinema and shops were set on the main floor; warehouses, a café and a nightclub in the underground.
Madrid Underground Map
You can find more information at: http://www.turismomadrid.es/index_INGL.aspx http://www.esmadrid.com/monograficos/visita/ es/monografico.html
a i V n a e r t G u o R
Tourism Office of Madrid PrĂncipe de Vergara street, 132. 5th floor Tel.: 91 720 82 24 From Monday to Saturday, 8.00 - 20.00 h. Sundays and holidays 9.00 - 14.00 h. Email: turismo@madrid.org
Wai Ling Tam Aleix Cansell Berta Pagès Taras Segarra Albert Aguilera