Casa Árabe in Madrid now stands empty after city officials ordered its evacuation from the historic Escuelas Aguirre building, following years of documented structural risks. Internal council documents and a Ministry of Culture report show Madrid City Hall knew about serious structural problems since at least December 2022. Despite repeated warnings and formal requests for urgent repairs, the city took no action until the situation became critical in 2026.
The crisis became public in June, when the city ordered Casa Árabe to leave Escuelas Aguirre. Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida accused the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of "illegal occupation," turning a bureaucratic dispute into a political fight. Records point to a pattern of neglect and shifting blame. A Ministry of Culture inspection in May 2025 found "serious pathologies" in the building’s structure, caused by its original construction and later changes. The report made clear that Casa Árabe’s maintenance was not to blame, contradicting the city’s claims.
Casa Árabe’s management raised the need for major repairs at a Council meeting in December 2022 and again in June 2025, saying it lacked the funds to handle the project alone. The city did not respond. Safety nets went up on the cornices in 2023, but no full repairs followed. When questioned, Mayor Martínez-Almeida said the city could not wait for consensus and blamed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the stalemate, calling further delay "irresponsible." Spanish media outlets reported that the mayor repeatedly tied the urgency of eviction to the need for immediate repairs and building safety, citing structural concerns as the basic reason for the city’s actions.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which co-manages Casa Árabe, rejected claims of poor communication or illegal occupation. Officials cited direct calls and technical meetings with the city throughout 2025, and noted that the Community of Madrid’s withdrawal from the consortium had not been formalized. The ministry warned that closing Casa Árabe would harm Spain’s international image and its relations with Arab countries, which it described as historically strong. Arab ambassadors and students have spoken out in support, and the ministry insists the institution should remain open. Casa Árabe has operated in the former Escuelas Aguirre building since 2008. Its consortium includes the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Madrid City Hall, the Community of Madrid, Junta de Andalucía and the City of Córdoba. That structure complicates decisions about the building and makes a rapid resolution more difficult. Infobae and other sources reported that the ministry viewed the consortium’s unresolved status, including the pending withdrawal of the Community of Madrid, as a complication for unilateral decisions about the building.
The building’s basic spaces are now closed, and staff are working remotely. The dispute has also entered local politics: Más Madrid plans to introduce motions in the Retiro and Salamanca district councils calling for Casa Árabe to remain in Escuelas Aguirre, for the current use agreement to be respected, and for all parties to establish a dialogue table. The proposal also asks that the building’s institutional, cultural and public roles be preserved.
Basic to the conflict are the building’s physical decline and a breakdown in institutional responsibility. The city says it could not wait for a deal, while Casa Árabe says it repeatedly asked for help it could not afford. The Ministry of Culture’s report attributes the building’s problems to its construction and years of changes, not to Casa Árabe’s upkeep. Similar tensions have surfaced in other Madrid property disputes, as seen in a previous investigation into the city’s management of high-profile real estate.
The city’s failure to address repair requests despite evidence of risk has led to an expensive evacuation and a diplomatic problem. The ministry’s deadline for Casa Árabe to vacate Escuelas Aguirre expired on September 1, 2026, while city authorities prepared alternative plans in case the organization did not leave voluntarily.
