One building that catches the community spirit of the lively barrio of Lavapiés is La Corrala, an example of an intriguing traditional (if much tidied up) tenement block, with long communal balconies built around a central courtyard; working-class Madrid was once strewn with buildings like this and very few survive. Almost opposite are the ruins of an old church, now converted into a library and the stunning Gau&Café .
