The Palacio de Cristal, located in the center of Buen Retiro Park, was designed by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco in 1887 as a conservatory to showcase a tropical garden from the then Spanish colony of the Philippines. The Palacio de Cristal was modeled after Joseph Paxton's masterpiece of crystal architecture in London in 1851.
The model of the Crystal Palace in London that Palacio de Cristal used to design Palacio de Cristal.
The Palacio de Cristal is shaped like a Greek cross, and apart from the decorative metal and ceramic trim, the rest of the palace is made entirely of glass.
With a dome structure and a ceiling over 20 meters high, on sunny days, the entire palace looks like a brilliant crystal block, reflecting seven-colored bands onto the white stone floor. When the sunlight fades, the entire palace will be lit up by hundreds of magical yellow lights like fairy tale castles.
The palace shone like a "crystal cage".
Palacio de Cristal in spring.
Palacio de Cristal in autumn.
The Palacio de Cristal Palace sparkles in gold every night.
Palacio de Cristal is arguably the most beautiful architectural monument in Retiro Park. At the entrance to the palace, steps lead down to a large artificial lake, which is home to geese, black swans and tulip birds. Visitors can rent boats nearby to paddle out into the middle of the lake.
A contemporary exhibition of the crystal palace.
Works of art nested within other works of art.
In 1975, the palace was almost completely repaired and restored, becoming a place to hold contemporary art exhibitions. If you are a lover of cultural tourist destinations and immersed in Western architectural space, the Crystal Palace in Madrid is a tourist destination not to be missed.
Video of Palacio de Cristal palace from above - Lucas Smit:
