Palacio Municipal, Quito, Government palace in Historic Center, Ecuador.

The Palacio Municipal occupies the eastern side of Independence Square in Quito's historic centre. The modernist building, finished in 1973, was designed by architects Diego Banderas Vela and Juan Espinosa Páez, with structural calculations by engineers Jaime Brio Vaca and José Chacón Toral. It houses the mayor's office, the chambers of the 21 councillors and the municipal administration.

The 19th-century Municipal Palace and several neighbouring houses were demolished in 1962 under mayor Julio Moreno because the building was old and short of space. The nearly one-block site stayed empty for years. Construction of the new palace began in 1970 by order of mayor Jaime del Castillo, and it was finished in 1973 during the mayoralty of Sixto Durán-Ballén.

This building is where the city's administration conducts its daily work and makes decisions that shape Quito. You can see how the modern structure sits within the historic center, marking the boundary between contemporary governance and colonial tradition.

Access is easiest from Independence Square, which provides clear landmarks in the historic center. Keep in mind that as an administrative building, some interior areas may have restricted public access.

The building was finished in 1973 under mayor Sixto Durán-Ballén, who later became president of Ecuador. In November 2016 his state funeral was held inside the palace, in the Salón de la Ciudad, where a chapel was set up at his own request.