Edificio España

The emblematic 25-storey skyscraper, located at one end of Madrid's Gran Vía, in the Plaza de España, is one of the most representative buildings of Madrid's skyline. Standing 117 metres tall, it is the city's eighth highest skyscraper, and throughout its history it has housed hotels, shopping centres, residential properties, and offices.

Construction work began on the Edificio España in 1948, designed by Julián and José María Otamendi, and was completed in 1953, to create a neo baroque style building made from reinforced concrete combined with brickwork and limestone. Its baroque frontage, which is stepped at four different levels, was in its day the highest in Spain and Europe, although it was soon overtaken by the neighbouring Torre de Madrid, built a few years later by the same architects.

After its acquisition by the Mallorcan hotel group Riu, which has carried out a complete refurbishment of the entire building, it houses the four-star hotel Riu Plaza España, with 583 rooms and 17 meeting rooms. The hotel also has a gastrobar in the reception, two restaurants and a skybar distributed over the two upper floors, 26 (covered) and 27, with a large terrace of 500 square meters. The outdoor swimming pool, open only in summer, is on the 21st floor.