Located in Argüelles, this space, consisting of two buildings at 5, Calle Altamirano and 63, Calle Princesa, is the only example of a former printing and type foundry that remains in the Community of Madrid. Founded at the end of the 19th century by the Austrian, Richard Gans, it was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in the Industrial category in July 2023.
The buildings that form part of the property, as well as the installations preserved inside them, offer a clear image of the structure and organisation of one of the companies that emerged with the industrial development in the city of Madrid at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century.
From an architectural point of view, the spatial quality of the building on Calle Altamirano stands out, designed with natural overhead lighting for industrial use and which remains in a good state of repair, the rolled steel structure characteristic of the period, as well as much of its aesthetic and functional interior elements.
Regarding the building on Calle Princesa, with a more residential structure, the main façade can be highlighted, preserving its unique design, with grilles on the ground floor and balconies on the upper floors, windows with leaded glass and cast-iron pillars on the ground floor. The property is a unique example of Madrid's metamorphosis from a town to a cosmopolitan and industrial city.
In addition to its architectural value, it is also of interest for the machinery typical of its activity, moving elements and furniture, which constitute a valuable testimony of the graphic activity of the period.
It also highlights the uniqueness of the activity carried out and its development over a century (from 1888 to 1975), during which time it supplied material to the main publishing and graphic companies of the period, including the Rivadeneira printer’s, located in Cuesta de San Vicente, or the ABC newspaper.
