Metropolis Building

Located at the intersection of Alcalá and Gran Vía streets, this iconic building, one of the area's symbols, was designed in 1905 by French architects Jules and Raymond Février to house the insurance company La Unión y el Fénix, although the final construction was carried out by the Spaniard Luis Esteve. Since January 2026, the public has been able to enjoy several fine dining establishments and a boutique hotel at the Club Metrópolis. The Metrópolis building is one of the main icons of Gran Vía, featured in the photographs of thousands of tourists who each year capture the view of this avenue from the area around Plaza de Cibeles. Built on the site of the "coffin house," popularly known for its narrow facade, it was constructed between 1907 and 1910 as part of the creation of the first section of the Gran Vía, and was inaugurated on January 25, 1911. This sumptuous building presides over the beginning of the Gran Vía with its Neo-Renaissance facade of Corinthian columns and a slate dome with gilded inlays, above which sits a statue of Winged Victory, created by Federico Coullaut, which was formerly a Phoenix, the symbol of the insurance company that initially occupied the building.