Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries ICAI-ICAD

A brick building built by the Compañía de Jesús in order to establish the Catholic Institute of Arts and Industries, schools for experts and engineers and patronage of labourers, was a pioneer institution that attempted to mitigate the deficiency in industrial education in Spain at the end of the 19th century.

Built near Calle Princesa, it is a homogeneous group of buildings that use the language of Neo-Múdejar brick with a practical – almost industrial – spirit, emphasising only the cornices and ornamental touches, for which it used more dynamism. In spite of how ambitious the project was, the facilities needed to be extended and the workshops built in a new building, located on the other side of the street. The architect in charge of this was Antonio Palacios, who built one of his most simple and rigorous works here.