The big square at the western end of Gran Vía, reopened in 2021 after a five-year redesign that buried the traffic, opened up the green space, and gave the square back to pedestrians. The two anchor buildings are the Edificio España (a 1953 mixed-use tower) and the Torre de Madrid (1957 — at one time the tallest building in Spain).
At the centre of the square is the monument to Miguel de Cervantes, with bronze statues of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza in front of the writer's seated figure. Trees, a long shallow reflecting pool, and the green slope up to the Templo de Debod give the redesigned square a generous, well-loved feel. Use it as a hinge between the Palacio Real (south) and the Templo de Debod / Casa de Campo (west).