Fundición Richard Gans, Industrial foundry at Calle Princesa, Madrid, Spain
Fundición Richard Gans is an industrial foundry occupying a T-shaped complex along Calle Princesa with a second building at Altamirano. The structures blend practical factory design with modernist and art deco architectural details from the early 1900s.
Richard Gans founded this foundry in 1888 after emigrating from Karlsbad, Austria, and ran it until his death in 1925. The operation grew into a significant center for typeface production serving the Spanish printing industry.
The foundry manufactured numerous typefaces, including Atlantida Dalia in 1931 and Egipcia Progreso in 1923, which influenced Spanish printing developments.
The building is protected under Madrid's urban heritage regulations and remains privately owned. Parts of the complex can be viewed through scheduled architectural tours organized by preservation groups.
During the Spanish Civil War, the foundry temporarily converted its operations to manufacture ammunition instead of typefaces. This shift reveals how the conflict reshaped even civilian industries to support wartime needs.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
