Palacio de Cristal
Modeled on London's famous Crystal Palace, this 19th-century building is made almost entirely of glass and today hosts regular exhibitions. The Palacio de Cristal was built in 1887. It was originally designed by architect Ricardo Velázquez Bosco to house exotic flora brought over from the Philippines, which was at the time occupied by the Spanish. The flower display was part of a larger exhibition on the Philippines that took place in the gardens and included a reconstruction of a Philippino village. Today the Crystal Palace is home to comtemporary art and museum exhibitions organized by the Museo Reina Sofia of Madrid.