CaixaForum Madrid

What to expect

CaixaForum Madrid is an art centre on Paseo del Prado in a former power station, the Central Eléctrica del Mediodía, begun in 1900. Only its facades survive. The Swiss architects Herzog and de Meuron kept the old brick walls, added a two-storey module of Corten steel on top and dug out the ground beneath, so the building seems to float above the square. It was inaugurated in February 2008.

The structure is as interesting as the content: the upper part rests on three concrete cores, and the auditorium lies two levels underground. Beside it, on a wall left bare when a petrol station was demolished, is the vertical garden designed by the botanist Patrick Blanc in 2007, which draws people along the Paseo del Prado toward the building. You can see the garden from the street without going in.

Don't miss

• Brick facade that seems to float
• Corten steel upper floors
• Patrick Blanc's vertical garden
• The plaza beneath the building

Tips for your visit

• The vertical garden is outside, so even a short stop is worthwhile.
• Look at the current exhibitions on the website before you decide how long to stay.
• It sits on Paseo del Prado, so it fits easily with the Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofía museums nearby.
• Look at the facade from the plaza as well as from the street to see how it is raised.