It is over 100 years old and it has been brought to new life only a
couple of decades ago: the Gran Via is the symbol of Madrid shopping and
mundane life. It is maybe not the most elegant street in Madrid but it is certainly the
most active one. Buildings along the Gran Via are testimonials of the XX
century taste (for example the dome of Palacio Metropolis).
The project for the realization of the Gran Via was approved by King
Alphonse XIII, and it was divided in 3 segments, which saw their birth in the
course of four decades, and were completed in 1952.
This explains the different styles: from neoclassical Palacio La
Estrella or the façade of Real Gran Pena, to the building of the
Spain national telephone Company to the art deco lines of Palacio
Capitol. Nowadays you can find there cinemas, theatres and social
centres, commercial units like El Corte Inglés and the Bar-Museum
Chicote.