The Madrid neighbourhood of El Viso has the highest average per capita income in Spain because this is where Madrid’s most powerful fortunes reside; and it is no coincidence that this neighbourhood is surrounded by five other Madrid neighbourhoods that follow it on the list of the richest neighbourhoods in Spain.
We have to go back to its origins to find out why this neighbourhood – located in the geographical centre of Madrid and crossed by Calle Serrano – is so exclusive and why so few people know about it.
The El Viso neighbourhood was built in the second quarter of the 20th century on the outskirts of Madrid, in a higher area next to the Paseo de La Castellana. Almost a hundred years ago, this area was far from the capital’s main attractions. Today it is an oasis of greenery and single-family homes in the centre of Madrid, contrasting with the business buildings of La Castellana and just a stone’s throw from the best hotels and restaurants in Madrid’s neighbouring districts – such as the more popular Salamanca and Recoletos. Within ten minutes, El Viso residents have museums, international schools, including the prestigious IE Business School, some of the best private hospitals, embassies and the impressive Santiago Bernabéu stadium, home to Real Madrid Club de Fútbol and now transformed into Europe’s most versatile stadium.
In El Viso, tall evergreen trees coexist with majestic specimens of trees that tinge this neighbourhood with their own colours in autumn, while in summer they cool the air with their shade.
This impressive native vegetation is a natural asset that has been cleverly exploited by the best landscapers to contribute to the environmental heritage of the neighbourhood.
The advantages of El Viso, due to its location and orography, were discovered, little by little and successively, by people with sufficient economic capacity, not only to build the most modern houses of their time, but, especially, to take advantage of the gift of Nature in this quiet and safe area of Madrid.
Naturally, a beautiful garden contributes to the value of the surrounding house. But it also improves the well-being of its inhabitants.
The owner of this exceptional house was aware of this when he hired one of the most renowned landscape architects in Spain – Fernando Caruncho – and an architect – Andrés Rebuelta – who, between them and their brilliant teams of architects, have brought out the value of a plot of land – where there used to be two houses – and built a single family house, completely new from its foundations to the solar panels on its roof, and all surrounded by the harmonious environment of this urban garden.
Well-being, that’s the feeling you get when you are in this home: within minutes of being in any room of this magnificent property – inside the house or in the garden – your visitors have the sensation of feeling good. There is something magical about this light-filled residence and this well-organised garden. The owner’s feminine hand is clearly visible in the style and decoration: elegance, beauty and functionality in balance.
The house is distributed over four floors, which are filled with sunlight through large south-facing windows and balconies that open to the east and west. The north side is usually the least attractive side of any house in the same hemisphere as Madrid. However, the architect Rebuelta has displayed his technical skill by designing an elegant and stylised cantilevered staircase that runs along the four floors in the central part of the north wall. This wall is partly made up of huge glass windows that allow the stylised structure of the staircase to be admired from the outside: a work of art that adds to the beauty of this welcoming residence.
The ground floor is reserved for guests to have independence and direct access to the swimming pool and its sunny terraces.
The main floor is dedicated to spacious lounges, a large dining room and the kitchen.
The service staff have access via a secondary staircase from their private quarters to the main floor.
The second floor is reserved entirely for the owners. It is easy to imagine that, with all the space on this floor, there is room for everything and everything is in its place.
The top floor, with four bedrooms and their en-suite bathrooms, is the exclusive area for the children, who also have a common living room.
This house in El Viso is both simple and extraordinary. The mastery of the designers took advantage of all that the plot had to offer and they have achieved a beautiful residence, very comfortable, intelligently ordered for living, with exquisite taste and balanced in its spaces. Without a doubt the result of so much work does honour to this exclusive neighbourhood of Madrid where it is located.
El Viso is also home to illustrious residents such as the architect Rafael Moneo; Florentino Pérez, the president of the Real Madrid and other important families.
The secret of El Viso is that it has remained one of the city’s most exclusive and lesser-known neighborhoods due to the absolute discretion with which its wealthy residents wish to live and the scarcity of supply, as those families who live here maintain their homes for several generations. It is really difficult to find a hidden gem like this.
