Longoria Palace

This guide to the Longoria Palace in Madrid opens with financier Javier Gonzalez Longoria's 1902 commission to Catalan architect Jose Grases Riera, an instruction to build a palace that does not look built, and the carved, organic facade that resulted. It follows the spiral staircase inside, lit by an iron and glass dome, and Longoria's plan to keep his bank downstairs and his family above it. Look for the wave of carved vines and masks across the facade before you step in.