Twenty-one years ago, there weren’t many Mexicans in Madrid. Nor were there so many ultra-luxury hotels, and in the bars it was puzzling to see how paper napkins, once used, ended up on the floor as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
For a long time, Madrid lived in the shadow of Barcelona. Barcelona was the beautiful one, the sophisticated one, the city everyone admired. Madrid, on the other hand, was the charming plain girl — perhaps not dazzling at first sight, but the one who wins you over with her character and warmth. Because beauty attracts, yes, but charm makes you fall in love. And fall in love I did.
Today, the city once seen as less glamorous now knows itself to be beautiful, bold, and authentic. Its life, its skies, its people, its food — everything you breathe here — has lifted it beyond its provincial past. Now it stands on the same level as London and Paris. Perhaps it always did — but Madrileños themselves didn’t quite believe it.
It took stars like Ava Gardner and writers like Hemingway to come and experience it — to discover a unique city, with a vibrant rhythm, endless nights, and an unmistakable spirit that, even after a war, shone with its own energy. They were the ones who helped put Madrid on the map.
And today, many of us who have arrived from elsewhere bring our stories, our perspectives, and our ways of creating to a city that has always thrived on what comes from outside — a city that grows richer with every new accent.
In my case, I came searching for a place that would tell me, “this is home”, and I found the perfect stage to build a life among architecture, design, and dreams. The first years were about adaptation: understanding bureaucracy, rhythms, and the Madrileño character… and also the long process of validating my architecture degree, which taught me patience and perseverance. But above all, they were years of discovery: the crafts, the materials, the artisans, and the light of this city that transforms spaces and inspires every project.
And we discovered that Madrid hides secret courtyards, forgotten gardens, homes full of richness, and spaces that had long been asleep — places we are now revaluing and reinterpreting, where the style, design, and creativity of those of us who live here keep the city’s magic alive.
Madrid taught me to design with a castizo soul and an international gaze — to blend the classical with the contemporary, the elegant with the approachable. And over time, my work has grown at the same pace as the city: the interiors of homes, restaurants, hotels… all reflecting a new way of living Madrid — open, cosmopolitan, and passionate.
Today, Madrid’s restaurants no longer throw napkins on the floor — and what’s more, they’ve expanded to Miami, Monaco, and London. Walking along Serrano, you can hear the Mexican accent in what some now call “Little Polanco.” You can visit the Palacio de Liria and see an exhibition by Joana Vasconcelos inside the House of Alba. Madrid has become a showcase of creativity — a city that exports style without losing its essence.
And as Tancredi says in The Leopard: “If we want things to stay as they are, everything must change.” People change, but those who arrive want to stay. Because Madrid is no longer just a city — it’s a way of life.
And Madrid cannot be explained — it must be lived. You might arrive by chance, but you stay for love. Because in Madrid, everything changes… so it can always remain Madrid.
This story is from Issue 7 of The Quarterly. Click here to see the full issue.
