This book commemorates the one hundred years since the construction of the building del Círculo de Bellas Artes, masterpiece of the architect Antonio Palacios.

2026 marks the centenary of the inauguration of the building del Círculo de Bellas ArtesThe building, a masterpiece by the architect Antonio Palacios (1874-1945) and an icon of modernity and cultural life in Madrid in the last century. Founded in 1880, el Círculo It occupied various locations throughout the city until, in 1919, the members—people from the world of painting, sculpture, music, literature, and architecture, including Palacios—decided to build their own headquarters. To this end, a competition was held, and the jury initially rejected the project submitted by Palacios, which combined the languages ​​of classical architecture with the new metropolitan trends of the early 20th century.

This book, which accompanied the exhibition The House of Arts. Open since 1926It narrates the origin, design, and construction of the building, as well as the process of that controversial competition which, against all odds, Antonio Palacios ended up winning. Through images—some previously unpublished—and texts written by the architects Juan Miguel Hernández León, president ofel Círculo de Bellas ArtesWith contributions from Álvaro Bonet López and Iñaki Ábalos, and historians Helena Pérez Gallardo and Carlos Sambricio, the history of a building that has witnessed and played a leading role in Madrid's urban transformation and the social and artistic changes of the past one hundred years is reconstructed. Today el Círculo de Bellas Artes It continues to welcome creators in the arts and sciences and diverse audiences. For all of them, and since 1926, this arts center remains open.