Palacio de Comunicaciones

Description

"Palacio de Cibeles" (originally "Palacio de Comunicaciones") is a striking white-facade complex in Madrid's Plaza de Cibeles, built on former Buen Retiro gardens. Designed in 1904-1905 by architects Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi after winning a municipal competition, it marks one of Madrid's earliest and most representative Modernismo examples, blending Neoplateresque façades with Baroque Salamanca echoes and rich decorative motifs by sculptor Ángel García Díaz. Construction started in 1907 but faced delays from political instability, disputes, and interruptions, finally opening in 1919 after 12 years as a monumental hub for post, telegraph, and telephone services.