CaixaForum

CaixaForum Review

Swiss architects Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron—who transformed a former power station into London's Tate Modern—performed a similar feat here, taking this early-20th-century power station and turning it into a stunning arts complex fit to be considered the fourth point in Madrid's former triangle of great art institutions—the Prado, the Reina Sofía, and the Thyssen-Bornemisza museums. The Caixa, which belongs to one of the country's wealthiest foundations (La Caixa), seems to float on a newly created, sloped public plaza, with a tall vertical garden designed by French botanist Patrick Blanc on its northern side contrasting with a geometric rust-color roof. Inside, the huge exhibition halls display ancient as well as contemporary art, including a sample of La Caixa's own collection. The restaurant on the fourth floor has good views.