The Circulo de Bellas Artes was founded in 1880 by a small group of artists. This building for the headquarters of the Circulo was completed in 1926 by the architect Antonio Palacios who is known for such emblematic buildings as the Palacio de Cibeles, the Bank of Spain, and the Palacio de Maudes.
The rooftop of the Circulo de Bellas Artes has spectacular views of Madrid, with some buildings of Gran Via like the Metropolis being very close. You can find a bar and restaurant here. For the lift, you have to buy a ticket.
We were a little bit confused because the ticket says that it is a combi ticket for the lift and the exhibition but we couldn't get into the exhibition with this ticket. However, the ticket was just 5 euros. For us, the views covered that price.