Whilst Spain's modern skyline is increasingly defined by the glass and steel towers of Madrid and Benidorm, the country's race for the clouds is a relatively recent story. For much of the 20th century, the iconic Telefónica Building on Madrid's Gran Vía held the crown. Completed in 1929 as one of Europe's first true skyscrapers, it stood as the undisputed tallest building in Spain for decades before the current generation of high-rises began to redraw the nation's cityscapes.
- A ranked list of the tallest completed buildings in Spain
- The Four Towers of Madrid: Spain's skyscraper hub
- Benidorm's skyline: the Manhattan of Spain
- Torre Caleido, Madrid's 'Fifth Tower'
- Torre Sevilla, the star of the city's skyline
- Torre Iberdrola, Bilbao's emblematic skyscraper
- Torre Picasso, a Madrid classic at number 10
- Torre Lúgano, live in Spain's 11th-tallest skyscraper
- Is Sagrada Família the tallest building in Barcelona?
A ranked list of the tallest completed buildings in Spain
To give you a clear picture, Madrid dominates the very top of the list, but Benidorm's impressive skyline makes a strong showing. Here are the current heavyweights of Spanish architecture, ranked by their structural height.
- Torre de Cristal: Madrid, 249 m, 52 floors, 2008
- Torre Cepsa: Madrid, 248 m, 45 floors, 2008
- Torre PwC: Madrid, 236 m, 52 floors, 2008
- Torre Emperador Castellana: Madrid, 224 m, 56 floors, 2008
- Intempo: Benidorm, 192 m, 47 floors, 2021
- Gran Hotel Bali: Benidorm, 186 m, 52 floors, 2002
- Caleido: Madrid, 181 m, 37 floors, 2021
- Torre de Sevilla: Seville, 181 m, 40 floors, 2015
- Torre Iberdrola: Bilbao, 165 m, 41 floors, 2011
- Torre Picasso: Madrid, 156 m, 43 floors, 1988
The Four Towers of Madrid: Spain's skyscraper hub
You can see from the list that the top four tallest buildings in Spain are all neighbours. They form the Cuatro Torres Business Area in Madrid, a striking symbol of the city's modern financial district.
Torre de Cristal, Spain's tallest skyscraper
Standing at 249 metres, this is currently the tallest building in Spain and one of the tallest in the European Union. Inaugurated in 2009, the 52-storey building is owned by the insurance company Mutua Madrileña. The name, which translates to 'Crystal Tower', is fitting, as its impressive façade is made up of over 44,000 square metres of glass. Its top floor is home to the highest vertical garden in Europe.
Torre Cepsa, the second-tallest building in Spain
Torre Cepsa was also inaugurated in 2008, initially as the headquarters for the bank Caja Madrid, before the oil and gas company Cepsa moved in. At 248 metres, it's just a single metre shorter than its neighbour, the Torre de Cristal, making it the second-tallest building in Spain with its 45 floors. It's often called Torre Foster, a nod to its famous architect, Norman Foster. The design is quite distinctive, with an open, arch-like structure at the very top that frames the office floors.
Torre PwC, the country's third tallest
Torre PwC is the only one of the four designed by Spanish architects. While its 52 storeys are largely home to PwC's offices, the upper floors are occupied by one of the capital's most luxurious hotels, the Eurostars Madrid Tower. Its shape is like a triangle with curved sides, making it very aerodynamic, and it has three wind turbines on the roof to generate some of its own power.
Torre Emperador Castellana, a Madrid icon at number four
Inside Torre Emperador Castellana's 56 floors, you'll find a mix of big companies and several embassies, including those for the UK, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands. It was originally known as Torre Espacio until the Philippine winery, Grupo Emperador, bought it and gave it its current name. What's more, it is home to the highest chapel in Europe, a small space for prayer located more than 100 metres above the city.
Benidorm's skyline: the Manhattan of Spain
Benidorm is the European city with the most skyscrapers per square metre, giving it its nickname, the "Manhattan of Spain". This impressive skyline isn't a recent development but the result of a pioneering 1956 urban plan that embraced a 'vertical city' model to accommodate tourism.
Intempo: the city's iconic residential skyscraper
Standing out on the Costa Blanca, the Intempo in Benidorm is an unmissable sight and the fifth tallest in the country. Its twin towers are joined at the top by a distinctive diamond-shaped cone, making it the tallest residential building in Spain. This golden giant is the star of Benidorm's skyline, and currently has a luxury apartment for sale for €5 million, alongside some of the other priciest properties in Benidorm.
Gran Hotel Bali, Europe's tallest hotel, is sixth
Holding the rank of the sixth-tallest building in Spain, its 186-metre height made it the tallest building in the country, a title it held until the first of Madrid's Cuatro Torres surpassed it in 2007. While taller skyscrapers in Europe now contain hotels on their upper floors, the Gran Hotel Bali remains a landmark as one of the tallest buildings in Europe that is dedicated almost entirely to being a hotel.
Torre Caleido, Madrid's 'Fifth Tower'
At 181 metres tall, Caleido takes the spot as the seventh-tallest building in Spain. What makes it stand out is its unique inverted 'T' shape. The tall, vertical section serves as the main campus for the IE University, while the wide, horizontal base is home to a high-end medical clinic and a large shopping and dining area.
Torre Sevilla, the star of the city's skyline
Down in Andalusia, Torre Sevilla stands at just over 180 metres and is the tallest building in the region. It was designed by César Pelli – the same architect behind Madrid's Torre de Cristal – and its elliptical shape houses offices and a hotel on its upper floors, offering some incredible views over Seville.
Torre Iberdrola, Bilbao's emblematic skyscraper
At 165 metres, Torre Iberdrola is the tallest building in the Basque Country and a key symbol of the city's regeneration. It's another design by César Pelli, with a distinctive triangular shape that tapers as it rises. It sits near the Guggenheim Museum and perfectly represents Bilbao's shift from an industrial past to a forward-looking hub for business and culture.
Torre Picasso, a Madrid classic at number 10
Standing at 156 metres in the heart of the AZCA financial district, it reigned as the tallest building in Spain from its completion in 1988 all the way until 2002. It was designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the same architect behind the original World Trade Center in New York. For two decades, it was the symbol of modern, corporate Madrid, and while it's no longer the tallest, its elegant design makes it a beloved icon of the city's modern landscape.
Torre Lúgano, live in Spain's 11th-tallest skyscraper
The Torre Lúgano is one of the most visually dominant skyscrapers in Benidorm thanks to its location. It's built on the foothills of the Sierra Helada natural park, so its summit reaches a higher elevation than any other building in the city. This strategic position means the apartments inside have some of the most impressive and unobstructed panoramic views of the entire coastline.
Is Sagrada Família the tallest building in Barcelona?
The current tallest buildings in Barcelona are the twin towers by the port, the Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre, which have both stood at 154 metres since they were built for the 1992 Olympics. However, Gaudí's masterpiece, the Sagrada Família, is set to claim the title. Once the central Tower of Jesus Christ is complete, it will reach a final height of 172.5 metres. This will make it not only the tallest building in Barcelona but also the tallest church in the world.