Air Force Headquarters

This large Neo-Herrerian style building, designed by the architect Luis Gutiérrez Soto, is located in the Moncloa district on the site formerly occupied by Madrid's Modelo prison and is notable for its resemblance to the Monastery of El Escorial. Its construction was completed in 1958, although it had been in use since 1954.

Six stories high, this imposing building with a brick facade and slate roof features four towers topped with spires and a portico of honor formed by four granite half-columns. Inside, its three large courtyards stand out: the central or 'courtyard of honor,' where the windows of the building's state rooms open, and two others that serve as functional plazas. It is the headquarters of the Air Force and houses the units of the Air Force Headquarters Group (ACGEA) and the Air Force Historical and Cultural Service (SHYCEA). It contains the most comprehensive Spanish library on Military Aeronautics, although it also has an extensive collection of general topics, literature, reference works, etc. It contains more than 19,000 book titles with over 25,000 copies; the periodical collection comprises 528 national and international titles, 30 of which are still being received. The library is open to the general public and has a special focus on professionals and researchers in military aeronautics. The building also houses the General Archive of the Air Force Headquarters, responsible for the custody and processing of documentation transferred to it from the central archives of the Air Force Headquarters agencies, the central archives of their respective Personnel and Logistics Support Commands, and other similar bodies. It is also responsible for transferring documentation of permanent value to the Air Force Historical Archive.