On the centenary of the building that houses the headquarters del Círculo de Bellas Artes Designed by Antonio Palacios and completed in 1926, this exhibition offers a journey through the origins, design, and construction of one of the most emblematic buildings on Madrid's Gran Vía. A landmark of the city's cultural life for a century, the building has been a direct witness to Madrid's urban, social, and artistic transformation, and remains one of its most recognizable icons.

The exhibition brings together a selection of historical documents and materials from the competition held in 1919 to build the new headquarters.el CírculoThe exhibition presents the building as a young institution with a vibrant cultural scene. Original plans, preparatory drawings, period photographs, and previously unseen artifacts allow for a precise reconstruction of the building's design and construction. These materials, many of them little known to the public, shed light not only on the project's technical complexity but also on the aesthetic and cultural aspirations that guided Palacios and the institution during those years.

The exhibition focuses on some of the building's most distinctive features: its innovative spatial and structural solutions, the monumentality of its volumes, and the careful integration of ornamental elements that define its urban presence. Visitors will appreciate how Palacios combined classical architectural styles with the new metropolitan trends of the early 20th century, and how his intervention helped solidify the Gran Vía's identity as the city's modern thoroughfare.

The exhibition offers an interpretation of the building, understood not only as architectural heritage, but also as a living space that has accompanied the country's cultural evolution. For over a century, its halls, exhibition spaces, studios, workshops, and meeting places have welcomed generations of artists, writers, filmmakers, thinkers, and diverse audiences, making it a privileged site for cultural creation and experience.

On its centenary, the building del Círculo It thus presents itself not only as an architectural landmark, but as a symbol of modernity, culture and urban life in the heart of Madrid. 

Image credits: Construction record of the headquarters building del Círculo de Bellas Artes.