Iglesia de la Cena del Señor, Madrid

Iglesia de la Cena del Señor, in Madrid, is a modest but architecturally notable parish church in the Valdezarza neighbourhood, part of the Moncloa-Aravaca district. Standing at Calle Antonio Machado 24, next to the Ciudad de los Poetas housing estate, it isn't a protected historic monument, yet it remains one of the more interesting examples of Madrid's religious architecture from the turn of the 1980s.

What will you see?

The building was designed by a team of four architects - Carmen Bravo Durá, Pilar Contreras Merino, Jaime Martínez Ramos and José Luis de Miguel Rodríguez - and completed in 1981. Its composition rests on three simple geometric volumes: a cylindrical main chapel, a smaller cubic daily chapel, and an L-shaped prismatic wing housing parish offices and classrooms. A shared atrium ties these elements together and organises movement between the different parts of the complex.

Brick is the dominant material throughout, used consistently on both exterior facades and interior surfaces, giving the church the raw, brick-forward character typical of Spanish modernist architecture of that era. One of the project's more distinctive features is its carefully zoned approach to natural light: the architects used ceiling segments, vertical strips cut into the walls, and structural roof elements to bring daylight into specific points of the main chapel. The front facade is marked by a tall portico, its height dictated by regulations tied to the surrounding municipal housing complex.

In 2017 the main chapel gained a new altarpiece (retablo), blessed and formally unveiled by the Cardinal Archbishop of Madrid - the parish had functioned without one for decades since the church was built.

How do you get there?

The church sits in western Madrid, within the Moncloa-Aravaca district, and is easy to reach by public transport from the city centre. The most convenient options are an EMT city bus, with stops near Calle Antonio Machado, or the metro to the nearest station serving the area, followed by a short walk through the Ciudad de los Poetas estate. The surrounding area is largely residential, so it's worth treating a visit as part of a longer walk through this part of the city rather than a standalone trip.

When should you visit?

As an active parish church, it's mainly accessible during mass times and office hours, so check the current schedule before visiting. The building's design is best appreciated on sunny days, when the zoned lighting scheme reveals the effects the architects intended - light falling through the vertical wall strips and ceiling segments creates sharp contrasts within the chapel's volume.

Frequently asked questions

Is Iglesia de la Cena del Señor a protected landmark? No. The building holds no official heritage protection status, although it is documented in Madrid's COAM architecture guide as an example of 1980s religious architecture.

Who designed the church? It was designed by a team of four architects - Carmen Bravo Durá, Pilar Contreras Merino, Jaime Martínez Ramos and José Luis de Miguel Rodríguez - and construction was completed in 1981.

What material is the church built from? Brick is the primary structural and finishing material, visible on both the exterior facades and the interior spaces.

Is there anything distinctive to see inside? Yes - look for the altarpiece blessed in 2017, and the building's layout of three geometric volumes (a cylinder, a cube, and an L-shaped block) connected by a shared atrium.