City Hall in Murcia, Spain

Closing the main square at the end opposite the cathedral, the city hall is an expression of the democratic pride of modern Spain. Clad in a local calcite stone, the building adopts the heights and many architectural elements of the surrounding structures. The solid plinth dissolves upwards into a series of colonnaded galleries that echo the Baroque portal opposite and the glazed loggias of the town houses. The compositional focus of the façade is formed by a two-storey opening. This affords a view of the square from the reception salon and has its counterpart in the central balcony of the cardinal’s palace. A sunken forecourt at the front provides access to a basement café. The curved balustrade wall leads visitors to the entrance at one side.