MODERN MADRID, Cuatro Torres

You're now at the northern limit of the Paseo de la Castellana, in front of the "Cuatro Torres Business Area" office center, a feather in the cap of the capital's new skyline.

If you're a soccer fan, it's interesting to note that during a huge economic boom the four towers were erected on the land where Real Madrid's training grounds once stood; now the team trains at an area near the airport, the futuristic "Ciudad Real Madrid" of Valdebebas, which covers over a million square meters.

The works began in 2004 underground with a complex network of tunnels used to direct traffic not only to the garage, but also to some neighboring routes like the M30, the first of four of Madrid's bypasses.

The lowest of the four towers is the Espacio Tower, which was finished in 2007, and is "only" 230 meters tall. It houses several embassies (Australian, Canadian, British, and Dutch), and even a chapel on the 33rd floor. As you might be able to guess, the name Espacio comes from its shape, as it looks like a rocket ready to fly into space. It is reflected in the Torre de Cristal, which is the tallest skyscraper of Spain at 249 meters. It has an impressive 600 square meter "vertical garden" at its oblique, square top....