Plaza de Cibeles is the place where Madrid’s north-south and east-west thoroughfares meet. Because the plaza s a major traffic hub, it is currently difficult for pedestrians to et a decent view of the grand buildings surrounding it.

The southwest corner is occupied by the enormous Banco de Espana, the facades of which stretch down the Paseo del Prado and up Calle Alcala. In contrast to the forbidding Banco de Espana, the Palacio de Comunicaciones on the south-east corner is an exuberant example of the architecture of Antonio Palacios, who signed many of the signature buildings in this area.