Description

Essentials about Cybele Palace in brief

Hardly any other city administration has such a beautiful working headquarters as that of Madrid. Since 2007, the administration of the Spanish capital has been housed in the beautiful building of the Palacio de Cibeles (Cybele Palace) at the plaza of the same name (Plaza de Cibeles). Built at the beginning of the 20th century, the palace is often still referred to by its old name “Palacio de Comunicaciones” (“Palace of Communication”), as it was previously used as Madrid’s main post office building. Today, the Cybele Palace houses the Madrid City Council, a cultural center and an observation deck.

The history and architecture of Cybele Palace

The construction planning of the building began in 1904 under the project management of the architects Antonio Palacios, Julián Otamendi and the civil engineer Ángel Chueca Sainz. The design incorporates various historical architectural styles, making it a typical example of eclecticism. The foundation stone was laid in 1907 and, after twelve years of construction, the building was officially inaugurated as Madrid’s main post office in 1919. The palace has a covered area of over 12,000 square meters. In 2008/09, a spectacular glass roof was built over the courtyard, which was formerly used as a parking lot.

The Cultural Center CentroCentro

In addition to the Madrid City Council, Cybele Palace houses a cultural center called “CentroCentro”. It is dedicated to all topics related to the city of Madrid in a wide range of events, such as the dissemination of interactive information about the city for residents and visitors and intercultural exhibitions, conferences and workshops. CentroCentro also has two restaurants that are also open to the public.

The view from Cybele Palace

And if you want to enjoy a fantastic view of Madrid, Cybele Palace is also the right place. In fact, in the main tower of the building there is a public viewing platform, from which you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the Spanish capital. Especially the sights in the immediate vicinity of the palace, such as the famous intersection of Gran Vía with Calle de Alcalá and Retiro Park, are particularly good to see.

Website

centrocentro.org

Opening hours

Opening hours exhibitions:

Admission fees

Admission fees observation deck:

Adults: €3

Seniors (Ages 65+): €2.25

Children (Ages 2 – 14): €2.25

Small children (Ages 1 and under): €1

Address

Getting there

By public transport:

Metro lines 2: Stop Banco de España

Bus lines 1, 2, 5, 9, 10, 14, 15, 20, 27, 34, 37, 45, 51, 52, 53, 74, 146, 150, 203, N2, N3, N5, N6, N7, N8, N9, N10, N11, N16, N17, N18, N19, N25 and N27: Stop Cibeles

By car:

The nearest car parks are Madrid Emt and the Aparcamiento Museo del Prado – Montalbán.