Metropolis Building

Description:

• Another familiar Madrid landmark standing out as prominently as the bow of ship is this French-built 1911 structure designed by the brothers Jules and Raymond Février for the Union and Fenix Insurance Company. Topped by the bust of a phoenix, symbolizing winged victory, its ornate dome of dark slate and interwoven gilt decor tower above the junction of Alcalá and the beginnings of the Gran Vía. Colonnaded floors have statues representing trade, agriculture, industry, and mining. Now owned by the Metropolis insurance company, it remains largely unchanged in appearance since the beginning of the century (though the phoenix was replaced by a newer one in the 1970s). Unfortunately the building is not open to the public, so its charms can only be viewed from outside.

• © Frommer's 2012