Text and photo: Antonio Colmenar. 25/01/2016
Madrid owes much to its skyline on its northern side, the well-known financial area of the Cuatro Torres. The first of these on approaching from the centre of the capital is the Torre Cepsa, christened thus in June 2014 after Bankia gave the Spanish Oil Company, controlled by the United Arab Emirates, an eight-year lease on the building in exchange for 324 million euros.
The tower rises a total of 250 metres in height. It is considered to be the highest building in Spain and the fifth in the European Union. It was inaugurated in May 2009, and is the work of the architect, Norman Foster. Since then it has been known by the name of its successive owners, first Torre Repsol until 2007, then Caja Madrid until 2013 and afterwards as Torre Bankia until 2014.
Halfway up the building there is a cafe and restaurant, a bright and translucent area, with a comfortable and modern decor, where patrons and diners can have an enviable bird’s eye view of Madrid from all angles.
