Torres Colón

I've just completed a whirlwind two-day business visit to Madrid. The weather was wonderful and my hotel was centrally located in Plaza Colón. The plaza has two prominent landmarks. The first is a tall, slender obelisk capped by a statue of Christopher Columbus, the man reputed to have discovered America. Cristóbal Colón is the Spanish name for this famous local hero. The plaza also includes a giant flagpole with a truly enormous Spanish flag. Strong winds on Thursday kept it flowing all afternoon.

The second landmark is Torres Colón, a copper-coloured twin tower block crowned by a green roof and twin green masts. For the last two days I've woken to a view of this stunning building from my hotel window. The building is known locally as the 'Enchufe' (plug-in) thanks to its roof design. Torres Colón was one of Madrid's first skyscrapers when completed in 1976. Each tower is 116 metres tall, sitting high above other buildings in the area. As a result, it offers a stunning, uninterrupted panoramic view of Madrid. Despite its age, Torres Colón remains a wonderful monument to modern architecture.


Earlier this week, I had a lunch meeting close to Liverpool Street railway station in London. Coming back from lunch I was enthralled by the unexpected sight of another wonderful high-rise icon. 30 St Mary Axe, more fondly known as the 'Gherkin', stood out against the local skyline. At 180 metres, this bold Sir Norman Foster designed building is currently London's second tallest building. It really did look spectacular against a drab foreground of dusty Victorian buildings.