Welcome to Madrid

The former Communication Palace is a monumental building that has been the seat of Madrid City Council since  2007. Designed and built by Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi as the headquarters for the Spanish Post Office, it was opened in 1909. In 1993, it was declared a Building of Cultural Interest in the Monument category.  

Following patterns of  rationality and functionality,  the building represents the union of tradition and modernity. Built out of stone, iron and glass, the Cibeles Palace stands on a plot that used to be the former gardens of Buen Retiro.

The building is divided into different spaces:

• The former Operations Hall of the Central Post Office, on the 2^nd Floor, has a cultural information point about the city, and the Cibeles Collection cafeteria  – restaurant .  In addition, from December 2022 onwards, the Patio de Operaciones courtyard will be home to the Landscape of Light Interpretation Centre, an educational space where you can discover the treasures of this area, which stretches from the Paseo del Prado, to the neighbourhood of Los Jerónimos an El Retiro, declared a World Heritage Site on 25 July 2021.

• The former Palace Chapel, on the 2^nd Floor, where different cultural activities are held.

• CentroCentro, which boasts  8,000 m2 divided on Floors 1, 3, 4 and 5, offers an extensive programme of cultural activities focusing on contemporary art.  

• The Glass Gallery, is a 2,800 m2multi-purpose space for use by the city  which is covered by the impressive glass dome.

• The Caja de Música Auditorium, with capacity for 262 people and fully accessible, is located under the Glass Gallery. Built at a later date, it holds presentations, concerts and conferences.

• Two multipurpose rooms, Jorge García Berlanga and Sigfrido Martín Begué, located on the first floor.

•  Cibeles Palace Restaurant and the Cibeles Terrace, located on the sixth floor.

• Madrid Viewpoint, located in the palace tower, offering an amazing panoramic view over the city.