Palacio de Cristal del Retiro


The Palacio de Cristal is a conservatory located in Madrid's Buen Retiro Park. It was built in 1887 on the occasion of the Exposition of the Philippines, held in the same year, then a Spanish colonial possession. The architect was Ricardo Velázquez Bosco.
The Palacio de Cristal, in the shape of a Greek cross, is made almost entirely of glass set in an iron framework on a brick base, which is decorated with ceramics. Its cupola makes the structure over 22 metres high. When it was erected, glass and iron construction on a large scale was already to be seen in Madrid at Delicias station, the work of a French architect. However the curved architecture of the Palacio de Cristal is more comparable to the techniques pioneered by the British architects Joseph Paxton and Decimus Burton.
The cast-iron frame was manufactured in Bilbao.
The structure was designed in a way that would allow it to be re-erected on another site. However, the building has remained on the original site, next to a lake, and has been restored to its original appearance. It is no longer used as a greenhouse, and is currently used for art exhibits.

Use

The Crystal Palace belongs to the Reina Sofía Museum, and is one of its exposition centres together with Velázquez Palace.

Gallery