[1] Belgian architect Agustín Goovaerts designed the building in a Gothic Revival style.

The Palace of Culture has been designated a national monument of Colombia and is freely open to the public.

The large dome located in the building is also used as an auditorium and a projection room, and can be used to watch movies.

On April 17, 1826, the headquarters of the Governor of Santa Fe de Antioquia moved to Medellin and since that time, there was a discussion of the need to build a site that would house the administrative power in the region.

[2] General Pedro Nel Ospina, who at the time was Governor of Antioquia and later became President of Colombia, requested the construction of this building and several others for Medellín in 1920.

Engineer and architect Jesús Mejía modified the plans for the balcony area because this space was going to be used for another purpose instead.

The interior also features bronze reliefs cast by Bernardo Vieco stands, a mural fresco "The Liberation of Slaves" by Ignacio Gómez Jaramillo, stained glass windows united with the ancient technique of leaded (joined by strands of lead) by the Horace and Arturo Longas brothers, and the central lamp.

The original designed contained five floors with space for over 300 offices, a large hall for the Departmental Assembly, a library and a museum.

The metal supports were imported from Belgium in 1928 and their assembly was done according to the model used for the New York skyscrapers, heating the nuts and bolts until incandescent with a tightening effect, and giving strength to the structure despite the absence of welding.