CaixaForum Madrid

CaixaForum is a cultural centre managed by the “la Caixa” Foundation and located at Paseo del Prado No. 36 in Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain.

In July 2021, it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro Park heritage site, Landscape of the Arts and Sciences, abbreviated as Landscape of Light. The centre is located in one of the few examples of industrial architecture in the historic centre of the city: the old Central Eléctrica del Mediodía, from the beginning of the 20th century. The rehabilitation project was developed by the Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron and the facility was inaugurated in 2008.

The Vertical Garden by Patrick Blanc at the square is also well-known.

CaixaForum Madrid is part of a network of CaixaForum centres that extends across several points across Spain: CaixaForum in Barcelona, CaixaForum in Seville, CaixaForum in Zaragoza, CaixaForum Palma, CaixaForum in Girona, CaixaForum in Lleida, CaixaForum in Tarragona, CaixaForum in Valencia and CaixaForum Macaya.

The building

The construction of the former Central Eléctrica del Mediodía was begun in 1900 by the businessman José Batlle. The project was aimed at building a coal-fired electricity factory that would supply energy to the entire southern sector of Madrid’s old town. The former power plant is bordered by Gobernador, Alameda, Cenicero and Almadén streets. The block has a surface area of 1,934 square metres and contains the power plant building and a courtyard that faces Gobernador street. Nothing of the old factory remains except for the facades.

Address: P.º del Prado, 36, Centro, 28014 Madrid, Spain.

Architects: Pierre de Meuron, Jacques Herzog

Architectural style: Deconstructivism

Working hours:

Thursday 10 AM–8 PM
Friday 10 AM–8 PM
Saturday 10 AM–8 PM
Sunday 10 AM–8 PM
Monday 10 AM–8 PM
Tuesday 10 AM–8 PM
Wednesday 10 AM–8 PM