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The Glass Palace

    Information

    Madrid is home to some wonderful examples of cast-iron architecture. One of the most striking is the Glass Palace which is located in El Retiro Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was originally built in 1887 as a greenhouse to showcase flora and fauna as part of an exhibition on the Philippines, then a Spanish colony. Today it is owned by the Reina Sofía Museum which uses it all year round as a venue for hosting temporary exhibitions.

    It was designed in the late 19th century by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. He modelled it on Joseph Paxton’s Crystal Palace which had been erected in Hyde Park (London) back in 1851. The structure made of glass plates and cast iron sits on a brick base decorated with ceramic tiles by Daniel Zuloaga (the renowned Spanish ceramist whose tiles can also be found on the façade of the nearby Velázquez Palace and covering the dome of the Church-Convent of Santa Teresa). The palace, which was restored in 1975, is surrounded by horse chestnuts. It stands next to a small pond filled with ducks and geese, just a stone’s throw from the Velázquez Palace, which is also used by the Reina Sofía Museum for temporary exhibitions.

     

    Last updated: 01/02/2023
    Practical Information
    Tourist Information
    Address
    Paseo
    de República de Cuba, 4
    28009
    Tourist area
    Retiro
    Telephone
    (+34) 91 774 10 00
    Fax
    Metro
    Estación del Arte (L1)
    Ibiza (L9)
    Retiro (L2)
    Bus
    1, 2, 9, 10, 14, 15, 19, 20, 26, 28, 32, 51, 52, 60, 61, 63, 74, 146, 152, C1, C2, N2, N3, N5, N6, N7, N8, N9
    Cercanías (local train)
    Madrid-Atocha
    BiciMAD bike-share scheme

    Docking stations:

    - Puerta del Doce de Octubre (Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo, 63)

    - Puerta del Pacífico (Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo, 73)

    - Puerta del Ángel Caído (Avenida de Alfonso XII, 54)

    Price

     Free.

    Times

    Oct, Mar: 10:00am - 7:00pm

    Nov-Feb: 10.00am - 6.00 pm

    Apr-Sep: 10:00am - 9:00pm

    Closed: 1, 6 January, 1 May, 25 December

    24, 31 December: 10:00am - 5:00 pm

    The Glass Palace may not open on rainy days due to the characteristics of the building.

    Type
    Cultural venues
    Sights and monuments
    Cultural centres, exhibition halls, foundations

    19TH-CENTURY CAST-IRON ARCHITECTURE

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    A beautiful brick and tile building that hosts temporary exhibitions in El Retiro Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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