A visit to the origins of Metro de Madrid from the hand of its creator, Antonio Palacios

The iconic Metro diamond, the stations, their accesses and so many other elements such as the totem poles or the Gran Vía pavilion would not be as we know them today if it were not for the characteristic mark left by its architect, Antonio Palacios. His design survives today in many aspects of the underground network, which is why Metro de Madrid is paying tribute to him with a major exhibition at the Real Casa de Correos, in Puerta del Sol, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of his birth.

It is the first exhibition of its kind to disseminate the immense legacy of the man who was an essential figure in the history of Spanish architecture and the suburban railway from the time construction began in 1917 until his death in 1945. This free exhibition, which opens its doors from 10 am to 2 pm and from 4 pm to 8 pm and offers guided tours, is a journey from the time when the Compañía Metropolitana Alfonso XIII was a project to the completion of the first four lines of the Metro network.

Until 30 June, in one of the courtyards of the Real Casa de Correos, through large-format graphic and audiovisual content, models and plans, you can learn first-hand about the work that Palacios carried out in the Madrid underground when nobody knew what this means of transport was.

This tour shows his facet as the architect of the first stations, of the industrial buildings (such as the Nave de Motores, open to the public as a museum), as well as the projects for the generation and transformation of electricity in the streets of Castelló and Olid.

In these 355 square metres of exhibition, there are different areas devoted to his life and work, to the stations and electrical substations in order to present Palacios' work and its importance as a transforming element of the city and its historical context in the most attractive way.

The research work in the Metro archives to recover images as well as public and private documents, which in some cases are coming to light for the first time, has been key in making this exhibition a reality

You can also discover, through scale models, unique and singular pieces such as the historic Puerta del Sol and the Gran Via lift pavilion. Audiovisual materials also show historical content in digital formats to enhance visitors' experiences.