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Architects: Ventura Estudio
- Area: 400 m²
- Year: 2007



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What first strikes you about the Cultural Heritage Institute is the enigmatic uniqueness of its headquarters. Affectionately known by Madrid locals as the “crown of thorns,” the building comes into view at the entrance to Madrid from the La Coruña highway. To the right, guarding the Moncloa Palace, stands this timeless artifact; boldly resting on Madrid’s University City, entirely detached from the rationalist architecture of its surroundings. An expressive formal hybrid, the result of combining the features of a fortress, a bullring, and a spaceship. It does not go unnoticed, nor does it seek to. It surprises and impresses us, unsettling to a certain extent, yet always carrying the intuition that this is an important work—an architecture that deserves, at the very least, our interest.
