A charity hospital built like a small cathedral, in Madrid granite, with a tower over the door.
At a glance
The Hospital de Jornaleros, known from its street as the Hospital de Maudes, was built between 1908 and 1916 as a free hospital for day-labourers. Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi, the partnership behind much of monumental early-twentieth-century Madrid, designed it in grey granite with a central tower. It later served the army and now houses regional government offices.
Key facts
- Location: Calle de Maudes, Cuatro Caminos, Madrid
- Architects: Antonio Palacios and Joaquín Otamendi
- Built: 1908–1916
- Material: Madrid granite
- Today: regional government building
History
A charitable foundation set out to give the city’s casual labourers a hospital of their own. Palacios and Otamendi, fresh from designing Madrid’s great post office, laid it out on a radiating plan with wards reaching out from a central core.
Finished in 1916, it worked as a hospital, then passed to military use, and fell into decline. A restoration in the 1980s adapted it as offices for the regional government, saving one of the boldest buildings of its period in Madrid.
What you see
The building is all grey granite, severe and monumental, with a tall tower rising over the entrance like a church crossing. Wings radiate from the centre, an old idea for keeping hospital wards light and airy. The style is Palacios’s own blend of tradition and modern monumentality.
Practical information
- Open: a government building; exterior viewable from the street
- Cost: free to view from outside
- Best for: the granite façade and the central tower
- Time needed: 15–20 minutes
Getting there
The building stands in the Cuatro Caminos area, north of the centre. Metro Cuatro Caminos and Ríos Rosas are each a short walk away.
Nearby
- Canal de Isabel II — the historic water-board tower nearby
- Cuatro Caminos — the busy junction and district around it
Sources
- Wikipedia — Hospital de Maudes
- Comunidad de Madrid — building heritage description
- Wikimedia Commons — image source and licence
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