The Telefónica building in Cáceres (1935-1938/39)

Abstract

Between 1935 and 1938-1939 the Spanish Telefónica Company built a telephone exchange in Cáceres to install the equipment of the new automatic telephone network. It was designed by Paulino Justo Gayo Marín, an architect that had a great impact on the development of this kind of architecture in Spain. The telephone exchanges were designed with a double purpose: the first one was to incorporate modern communication sys-tems in the cities and the second one was to create buildings with a «propagandistic» aesthetic, with the aim of attracting investors and shareholders. This article tries to explain the creation and the constructive ideas of the Spanish Company, in order to know the value that this building has in Cáceres for the urban evolution of the city.