On October 7, 2026, the City Council of Madrid, in collaboration with the Official College of Architects of Madrid and the COAM Architecture Foundation, inaugurated an exhibition in El Retiro park to commemorate the centenary of architect Javier Carvajal Ferrer’s birth. The exhibition showcases 13 representative buildings from Carvajal's career and emphasizes the importance of contemporary architecture as part of Madrid's cultural heritage and urban identity.
Javier Carvajal Ferrer is recognized as one of the most significant figures in Spanish architecture during the second half of the 20th century. His work is noted for its construction rigor, attention to detail, and careful selection of materials. The exhibition highlights Carvajal's contributions to modern Spanish architecture and his influence on the contemporary urban landscape.
Marta Rivera de la Cruz, the delegate for Culture, Tourism, and Sports, remarked, “Javier Carvajal's work is a magnificent example of how architecture can transcend its function to become culture, memory, and heritage.” She added that this centenary presents an opportunity to bring his legacy closer to the people of Madrid and to advocate for the value of quality architecture that is integral to the city.
Throughout his professional and academic career, Carvajal developed a body of work characterized by quality and rigor, with a strong focus on construction details, material usage, and the relationship between architecture, city, and landscape. Many of his buildings are now part of Madrid's contemporary architectural heritage and significantly contribute to the city's urban identity.
Among Carvajal's notable works in Madrid are the Almendrales Directed Settlement, residential buildings on Paseo de Moret and Plaza de Cristo Rey, Santa María de los Rosales School, Edificio Caracas, the Pontifical University of Comillas, the Zoo Aquarium of Madrid, the Law Faculty Library, Torre de Valencia, and the Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineers.
His career began during a period of profound transformation in Spanish architecture. In 1956, he participated in the First National Telecommunications Exhibition alongside José Antonio Corrales and Ramón Vázquez Molezún, a project that is part of the historical documentation preserved by the COAM.
The exhibition in El Retiro offers a journey through 13 representative buildings from different stages of Carvajal's career, allowing visitors to discover the evolution of his architectural language and the diversity of scales and programs he addressed throughout his work. This exhibition coincides with the XXIII International Architecture Week in Madrid, and its public installation aims to make architecture accessible to a broad audience while highlighting buildings that are part of the city's everyday landscape.
With this initiative, the City Council of Madrid continues to promote the dissemination and protection of contemporary architectural heritage, focusing on authors and works that have contributed to the construction of the modern city and whose cultural relevance is now part of Madrid's urban memory.
