Crystal Palace, Madrid
Palacio de Cristal is a very lovely building made of metal and glass, built in 1887 as a winter garden. The building was planned as a magnificent hothouse to display exotic plants and flowers. It stands in the heart of the Retiro Park( Madrid), reflecting charismatically in a small lake inhabited by ducks, grey lag and geese.
Most of the palace was destroyed during the Napoleonic Wars, leaving a space that was eventually opened to the public in 1868. Today the palace is used today for contemporary art exhibitions organised through the Reina S. Museum.
Its domed roofs makes the structure over 22 metres high. It was designed by Joseph Paxton in just 10 days, and incorporated 10 million feet of glass.
Crystal Palace, which was built in 5 months, is considered one of the best examples of architecture in iron and glass in Spain.
