Metropolis Building

The Metropolis Building is one of Madrid’s headquarters of a former insurance company. It is located on the crossing of the Calle de Alcala and the Gran Via in Madrid in Spain. The Gran Via literally translates into Great Way. It is a fashionable shopping hub, which also houses the Madrid Metropolis Building. In the year 1905, the building of the new and one of the city’s most important streets was confirmed near the Metropolis Building. The former insurance company – La Union y el Fenix - opened to Spanish and French architects a design for its new headquarters at the corner of the street. The edifice was to be named the Metropolis Building.

Two of the French architects who were entrusted the task of the Metropolis Building in Madrid were Jules Fevrier and Raymond Fevrier. They won the competition of the work and commenced work in the project on 1907. The Metropolis Building project was begun by demolishing seven homes which facilitated the construction. In the year 1910, the Metropolis Building was completed. It was inaugurated on January 21, 1911. The Metropolis Building is an exquisite piece of architecture with its perfectly symmetrical proportions and an impressive dome which is visible from a distance.

The summit of the Metropolis Building was originally crowned with a phoenix, the mythical and sacred firebird that is mentioned in Egyptian and Greek mythology. The phoenix has references to the insurance company. However, in 1975, Metropolis bought the building and crested the apex with the winged statue of victory in the place of the phoenix. The statue of victory – the Roman goddess Victoria – was designed by Federico Coullaut Valera. The street where the Metropolis Building stands, the Gran Via contains a number of shopping malls and restaurants for travelers to frequent. However, look up once you are here to admire the grand edificos.