CaixaForum Madrid, Contemporary art museum in Centro district, Spain.
CaixaForum Madrid is a cultural center in the Centro district of Spain that presents contemporary art inside a redesigned industrial structure on Paseo del Prado. The outer wall supports a vertical garden holding more than 15,000 plants from 250 species.
Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron converted the former Mediodía electricity plant into this cultural center, which opened in 2008. The renovation preserved the brick shell while creating new exhibition spaces inside.
The venue takes its name from the Catalan savings bank "Caixa" combined with the Latin word for public square. Visitors find rotating exhibitions that draw on modern movements alongside chamber music performances in the ground-floor auditorium.
The entrance sits at Paseo del Prado 36 and the center opens daily from 10 in the morning until 8 in the evening. CaixaBank customers enter without charge, while other visitors pay 6 euros (about 6.50 dollars).
The structure seems to hover above the pavement because the architects removed the base. This effect creates an optical trick beneath the metallic mass.
Location: Centro
Inception: 2008
Architects: Herzog & de Meuron
Official opening: 2008
Operator: Caixa
Part of: CaixaForum
Opening Hours: Monday-Sunday 10:00-20:00
Website: https://caixaforum.es/es/madrid/home
GPS coordinates: 40.41090,-3.69290
Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:31
Madrid brings together royal history with everyday city life. The city holds palaces from the 18th century, wide parks, and art collections built up over generations. The Royal Palace sits on the site of a medieval fortress, while Retiro Park was once royal grounds before opening to the public. The Prado Museum shows European paintings from several centuries, and the Templo de Debod is an Egyptian temple brought to Madrid in the 1970s. The city's squares reflect different periods. Plaza Mayor from the 17th century hosted public events, while Puerta del Sol marks the geographic center of Spain. Gran Via emerged in the early 20th century as a modern thoroughfare. Markets like San Miguel and the Sunday flea market at El Rastro reveal daily rhythms. Neighborhoods such as La Latina keep narrow streets and traditional taverns, while parks like Casa de Campo offer wide green space on the city edge.
Jacques Herzog co-founded Herzog & de Meuron with Pierre de Meuron, an architecture firm that has completed projects across multiple continents. The portfolio includes museums, stadiums, residential buildings and cultural centers in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Each project responds to its specific urban context with tailored architectural solutions. Completed works include the conversion of the Tate Modern in London, the National Stadium in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg, and the Pérez Art Museum in Miami. The buildings feature experimental facade treatments and innovative use of materials. Herzog & de Meuron received the Pritzker Prize in 2001.
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