The Crystal Palace, (El Palacio de Cristal) is a beautiful glass building found in the gardens of Retiro Park. The building was constructed in 1887 to house the Exhibition of plants from the Philippine Islands held that year. Its structure is metal, and is fully covered by sheets of glass, hence its name. The Crystal Palace was built in 1843 by Ricardo Velázquez Bosco, a Spanish architect, born on Burgos, Spain. He previously had built the Velázquez Palace, 1881-1883, which can be seen in the Retiro Park also, the ceramic work that decorates the Crystal Palace building was completed by Daniel Zuloaga, a famous ceramic artist who was born in Madrid in 1852. 

The Crystal Palace (El Palacio de Cristal)

The Crystal Palace is in the shape of a huge cathedral, made almost entirely of glass which is supported with iron, from above the shape of the building is the form clover, the purpose of the building was to house and exhibit rare and fragile plants brought over from the Philippines, it is situated perfectly facing a beautiful artificial lake, thriving with all kinds of wild life, fish and turtles, tranquil, relaxing, with waterfalls, an abundance of trees and sensational greenery.

The crystal palace is definitely a must see, if you wish to sample the relaxing, tranquil side of Madrid, you will find it truly inspiring, a great place to switch off, emotionally charging the batteries with new ideas and imagination, take the time to see it, you'll be glad you did.