Carrión Building (Capitol)

The construction project for this iconic building on Madrid’s Gran Vía was commissioned by Enrique Carrión, Marquis of Melín, after whom it was initially named, as we can see in the entrance. The building, now known as Edificio Capitol as it houses the Capitol hotel and cinema,  has fourteen storeys, and was designed by architects Luis Martínez-Feduchi Ruiz and Vicente Eced y Eced. Built between 1931 and 1933 in the art deco style, it uses materials such as marble and granite, and the decoration and furniture were designed by the firm Rolaco-Mac.

But what was most noteworthy at the time was the advanced technology it incorporated, such as the use of Vierendeel-style concrete beams, fire-resistant materials and the cooling system, the first centralised one in Madrid, which occupied a whole floor. It received several design and architecture awards at the time.

The original project was for 64 apartments, a hotel (the Capitol, which currently belongs to the Vincci group), a café, a bar, a restaurant, a seltzer water factory and offices and ballrooms. On its lower floors, there was a cinema for almost 2,000 spectators: the Capitol cinema. In 2007, under the direction of the architect Rafael de la Hoz, a full restoration was completed, which eliminated all the advertising from the façade except for the Schweppes sign and a more modern one on the roof for the Vodafone mobile phone company.

In April 2018, it was declared a Monument of Cultural Interest (BIC) by Madrid's Regional Government, on account of its architectural style and its iconic status on the Gran Vía.