Today we are going to take a tour of some residential buildings in Madrid built in the 20th century by recognized architects. These are buildings with their own character and personality, references from the period in which they were raised. The apartments are usually spacious, with great layout and orientation, planned prioritizing its residents’ well-being.
And yes, these are properties you can find eventually for rent. In addition, some of them are eye-catching buildings you’ll see in the city when strolling around or when you start your housing search.
Colonia El Viso (1933-1936)
Author: Rafael Bergamín Gutiérrez.
Location: Axis of Serrano-Concha Espina streets.
District of Chamartín. Neighborhood of El Viso.
It’s an area (“colonia”) of single-family houses with sober facades intended for upper-middle class intellectuals and professionals of the time. It is currently one of the most exclusive areas in Madrid where you can find also some apartment buildings.
O’donnell, 33 (1956-1958)
Author: Antonio Lamela
Location: 33 O’donnell Street.
District of Salamanca. Goya neighborhood.
It was the first residential building in Madrid to have air conditioning besides other aesthetic and architectural innovations. On each floor there is a spacious single south-facing apartment with 2 large stepped terraces opening onto O’Donnell Street. Each floor is completed with an office facing north, with independent access but also with internal housing-office communication.
He was also the author of the following buildings, some of them residential’s and others that you’ll surely see when you visit Madrid:
- Paseo de la Castellana, 121 (1958)
- Conjunto Galaxia (residential and commercial area in Moncloa) (1965)
- Torres de Colón (1967)
- Edificio Pirámide (1972)
- Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, enlargement and remodeling 1989-1993 y 2002-2005
- Madrid-Barajas Airport, brand new terminal: T-4 UTE con Initec, Richard Rogers y TPS (1997)
Edificio Girasol (1964-1966)
Author: José Antonio Coderch and Manuel Vals.
Location: José Ortega y Gasset, 23.
District of Salamanca. Neighborhood of Castellana.
Currently in the middle of the city Golden Mile.
It’s a building with undulating walls that look for the afternoon sun in an original building that breaks with the typical block courtyards of the area and creates an original schematic solution.
Torres Blancas (1964-1968)
Author: Francisco Javier Sáenz de Oiza.
Location: Corazón de María, 2.
District of Chamartín. Neighborhood of Prosperidad.
It’s perfectly visible when entering Madrid from the airport through the A2 highway, on the right. It is a unique building in its conception, a skyscraper that seems to grow organically, like a concrete tree. It groups different types of typologies: apartments, flats and duplexes. As a curiosity of potential tenants: many of the rooms are round-shaped.
Also from Saenz de Oiza are the Banco de Bilbao building in AZCA and the IFEMA Exhibition Centre.
Torre del Retiro (1969-1971)
Authors: Luis Gutiérrez Soto and Eugenio Gutiérrez Santos
Location: Menéndez Pelayo Avenue
District of Retiro, Barrio del Niño Jesús
The building consists of commercial premises on the ground floor, offices on the first floor, apartments on the second and third floors and flats from the fourth floor onwards. All apartments have views of the Retiro Park and garden terraces that contrast with the brick of the façade.
In addition to this tower, Luis Gutiérrez Soto was the author of numerous residential buildings in Madrid such as
- Espronceda, 35 – Fdez de la Hoz, 61
- Casa García Villa, Fdez de los Rios, 53 y Blasco de Garay, 43
- Almagro, 26
- Miguel Ángel, 2-4-6
- Zurbano, 30, Zurbarán, 8
- Castellana, 53
- Complejo Carlos III, Goya, 5-
- Padilla, 32
- Bretón de los Herreros, 55-57
- Juan Bravo, 7-9
- Jorge Juan, 37
- Edificio Richmond, Plaza
- República Argentina
- María de Molina, 1-3-5
Balbina Valverde, 11 and 13 (1965-1968)
Authors: Jose Antonio Corrales and Ramón Vázquez Molezún
Location: Balbina Valverde Street
District of Chamartín, Barrio de El Viso
The main façade is south oriented, obtaining the greatest sunshine of each apartment and it’s relatively isolated of the street as it does not follow the boundaries of the plot. The building structure allows great freedom in every floor lay out combining window closed projecting areas, terraces and corner windows that together with the tones of the façade and the landscaping of the garden manage to mitigate the impact of the volumetry in an area of single-family homes (El Viso).
He was also the author of, among others, the Ayala, 13 residential building, the Stella Swimming Pool in Arturo Soria (visible from M-30) and his private home in Somosaguas.
Torre de Valencia (1970-1973)
Author: Javier Carvajal
Location: On the corner of Retiro Park, at the confluence of Menéndez Pelayo and O’donnell streets.
District of Retiro. Neighbourhood of Ibiza.
It’s the building that appears in all the photos taken at Puerta de Alcalá from Cibeles. It has a 3-storey base dedicated to commercial purposes and a 25-storey tower with 91 homes with areas between 100 and 280 sq ms. Its lay out allows the same orientation and views of the Park from most of the apartments.
Housing for the Patronato de casas militares (1973-1975)
Authors: Fernando Higueras and Antonio Miró.
Location: Glorieta de San Bernardo.
District of Centro. Neighborhood of Universidad.
Very visible residential building for being close to some commercial areas such Princesa and the most avant-garde of Fuencarral and Chueca and leisure areas as well. A novel and surprising mix of concrete blocks and vegetation that cascades down the façade.
In case you are planning to move to Madrid shortly, you’ll find all the relevant information in The secret of relocating to Madrid. If, in addition, you need help with the organization or, even if you want us to accompany you, check out our services.
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