Leganés City Council

Leganés City Council (Casa del Reloj) stands on the Plaza Mayor in the heart of Leganés, a city just south of Madrid, and it is one of the few local landmarks that draws attention through architecture alone rather than through pure administrative function.

What will you see there?

The building has two very different facades. The one facing the Plaza Mayor is monumental and symmetrical, dominated by a large presidential balcony from which the mayor and city officials address the public during festivities and civic ceremonies. The other facade, overlooking the municipal gardens, is more restrained and institutional in tone. The real highlight, though, is the carillon clock with automatons set into a block of alabaster and steel on the main front — a mechanism built specifically for this building and considered one of the most notable clock-automaton installations in Europe. That feature gave the whole building its popular nickname, Casa del Reloj, the "Clock House." At set times the automaton figures perform short scenes, which reliably draws a small crowd of residents and visitors with cameras ready on the square.

Inside, the finishes are worth noticing: granite covers the floors and walls, while walnut wood was used in several rooms, including the plenary hall and the ceremony room. These are the spaces where the city council holds its sessions and where civil wedding ceremonies take place.

How do you get there?

The easiest way is by metro — the MetroSur station named Casa del Reloj (Line 12) sits right at the edge of the square. Trains run from roughly 6:00 am to 1:30 am. City and regional buses on lines 450, 483 and L1 also stop nearby, and travelers coming from central Madrid can take the C5 Cercanías commuter line, which serves Leganés from early morning until close to midnight. The address is Avenida de Gibraltar 2, 28911 Leganés.

When should you visit?

The square in front of the town hall is lively year-round, but activity peaks in spring and summer when local festivals and open-air events fill the space. It's worth timing a visit around the clock's automaton show — exact showtimes can shift around public holidays, so it's best to check locally before you go. If you need to handle any administrative matter, the citizen service office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 2:30 pm and 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm, and Saturdays from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Why is the Plaza Mayor worth a look?

The square itself has an interesting backstory. Until the late 1990s, this exact spot was the football pitch of the local club CD Leganés. The city had never had a proper plaza mayor before, so as part of an urban development plan carried out mainly from the mid-2000s onward, authorities decided to build a representative public space here, combining the town hall with housing, commercial units and a large underground car park. The town hall opened in 2007 and has served as the city's new symbolic center ever since.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors go inside the town hall? The administrative offices function like any regular municipal building, but the square and the clock facade are open at all times and are the main draw for visitors.

How do I get there by metro? Take MetroSur Line 12 to the Casa del Reloj station — the exit leads directly onto the Plaza Mayor.

What makes this building stand out? The carillon clock with automatons built into an alabaster-and-steel facade, regarded as one of the more notable examples of its kind in Europe.

Is there anything else nearby worth seeing? The Plaza Mayor itself is a popular gathering spot with cafés and open space, making it a natural stop before or after visiting the town hall.