The Metropolis building, located in the very center of Madrid's financial district, at the corner of Gran Via and Alcala streets, is one of the symbols of the city. Its construction was commissioned by a major insurance company. The architects Jules and Raymond Fevrier, who created Metropolis, followed all the laws of classical French architecture in it.
In order to build this beautiful and majestic structure, seven houses had to be sacrificed at the time, and apparently not in vain. Above the ground floor stand Corinthian columns, each pair of which serves as a pedestal for figures personifying Commerce, Industry, Mining, and Agriculture of Spain. In the elegant and impeccable architecture of the building, a special place is occupied by the dome, made of black slate with gilded intertwined ornaments. It is crowned by a magnificent winged statue of Victory. By the way, it was not always located here. Originally, the dome was adorned with a bronze figure of a phoenix; however, after the building was acquired by the Metropolis company, it was taken elsewhere.
In front of the building stands the barely noticeable figure of the "Violet Seller." This sculpture reminds passersby of the times when, after performances held on Gran Via, gentlemen bought violets here for their ladies.
Would you like us to suggest what else is worth seeing in the Spanish capital? Download the Madrid audio guide, and you will find several ready-made walking routes in it!
