There’s a clear intentionality in how Madrid presents itself, especially around places like the Palacio Real and the grand boulevards nearby. The neoclassical lines of the palace aren’t just for show—they reflect a time when Spain was asserting power through stone and symmetry. Look closer and you’ll see the precision in the stonework, the iron balconies, the proportions designed to impress from a distance but also hold up under slow inspection.

Even more modern buildings tend to nod to that heritage. Cornices are maintained, facades cleaned, and plazas kept open to frame the views. Around El Retiro, the Palacio de Cristal is a perfect example—built in the 19th century but still striking with its blend of glass and steel, set deliberately to mirror the trees and water around it.

It’s not all perfection—Madrid isn’t trying to be a postcard—but you can tell there’s care behind the layering. The city respects what’s old and makes room for what’s next. You feel it in the way buildings open toward public space, or how old stone mixes with tile and brick, like the past was never meant to be erased—just added to.