Design
Madrid Icon May Not Return to Skyline
The beloved Tío Pepe sign – Madrid's Eiffel Tower – could be doomed.
"Tío Pepe," a clothed and guitar-bearing neon sherry bottle, shone down on the city of Madrid for more than 75 years. Now, his reign may be over.
The neon sign stood atop a building near a central square, Puerta del Sol, since 1936 and had become one of the city's most iconic sights. But last year, it was removed to allow the building's retrofit as an Apple retail store. It was thought that the 10-meter-tall Tío Pepe would regain his perch when the retrofit was complete.