Madrid - Columbus Square

(Local Name: Plaza de Colón) The Plaza de Colón is one of the most controversial developments in Madrid. It was laid out in the 1970s, replacing the old tree-planted square with its 19th C. mansions at the intersection of the Calle Goya and Calle Génova with the Paseo de Recoletos and the Paseo de la Castellana.

Modern tower blocks have now taken the place of the older buildings, and the needs of the city traffic have turned the square into a wide through road. The site of the old Fábrica de Moneda (Mint) is now occupied by the Jardines del Descubrimiento (Gardens of the Discovery), with the statue of Columbus which formerly stood in the center of the square and now appears small and insignificant, dwarfed by the high-rise buildings which surround it.

Beneath the square lies the extensive complex of the Centro Cultural de la Villa de Madrid, with a theater, exhibition halls and lecture rooms. A large underground garage and the air terminal add their quota to the hectic activity of this great traffic intersection.