¡Viva España! 12 Inspiring Projects Celebrating Spanish Culture

Made to embrace a temperate Mediterranean climate, contemporary Spanish projects are emerging alongside vibrant, walkable cities and lively public spaces. Across the country, buildings open to their context and each other. In turn, they open people to exchange. Valuing sensory and social experiences, these buildings are rooted in sectional qualities. They encourage exploration and discovery as they set the stage for daily life.

Over the last year, we’ve taken a broad survey of contemporary Spanish architecture, from elegant concrete homes and metal façades to wineries and seaside hideaways. Now we’re shifting focus to explore some of Spain’s incredible cultural projects. As one of the most diverse nations in the world, Spain balances a respect for history with a rigorous optimism for the future. New designs are made alongside ancient mosques and grandiose public spaces intimately tied to their context. Built in both the city and the countryside, these projects leave lasting economic and social impacts. Collectively, the following 12 designs reveal an inspiring design culture rooted in a desire to rethink the everyday.

Civic Centerby EXIT Architects, Palencia, Spain

Expanding upon the former Palencia Provincial Prison Complex, this civic center repurposes the facility and 19th-century brick bearing walls built in the “neomudéjar” style. Creating new areas for meeting, the design creates spaces that embrace natural light through two-story wings and connecting pavilions.

Auditorium and Congress Center by Barozzi Veiga, Águilas, Spain

Balancing ties to the urban fabric and its natural setting, the massing of this cultural center in Águilas reflects the conditions of its surroundings. Crisp elevations stand out on the city side, while sweeping concave surfaces face the sea and connect with nature.

The New Cultural Center by fündc, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain

Located near Padre Vallet square, the NCC rests at the intersection of a pedestrian network. The center includes a transformable hall, “mega-tree-pots” and spaces that can switch between exhibition, auditorium and promenade modes.

La Llotja de Lleida by Mecanoo, Lleida, Spain

Mecanoo’s La Llotja Theatre and Conference Centre was designed as a monolithic volume that rises from the landscape. A solid, natural stone façade cantilevers from the ground floor to protect visitors while embracing the public square underneath.

Panteón Nubeby Clavel Arquitectos, Murcia, Spain

Exploring the physical and immaterial boundaries of burial sites, the Panteón Nube reinterprets ideas of death and transition through a foldable zigzag façade. With doors inserted into the walls, the project can only be opened through a very specific, sequenced combination.

Multifunctional Pavilion at ‘Riera Major’ Center by MIRAG Millet Ramoneda, Viladrau, Spain

Reinterpreting traditional structures found throughout Viladrau and Girona, this pavilion expands upon an existing therapeutic center. Designed to be used exclusively by the center’s patients, the project opens up to the nearby forest with a structure that bestows shape to the building.

Daoiz and Velarde Cultural Center by Rafael de la Hoz Arquitectos, Madrid, Spain

Designed to preserve Madrid’s heritage, this cultural center was formerly a military barracks. Renovated with ideas of intermediate and communal space, the building’s brick façade and sawtooth metal structure form the project’s shell. New spaces include areas for exhibitions, information and meeting.

Gongora Theatre by Rafael de la Hoz Arquitectos, Córdoba, Spain

Designed atop the classical Teatro Góngora in Córdoba, this modern glass box was made to expand programmatic function and promote contemporary culture in the city. The new multipurpose space connects to interior refurbishments with an experimental theatre and black-box concept.

CaixaForum Madrid by Herzog & de Meuron, Madrid, Spain

The CaixaForum was designed as an urban magnet and a new address for the arts scene in Madrid. Drawing visitors through mass and program, the project uses the former power station’s brick shell and inserted the new components of the CaixaForum. The new design addresses the identity of the institution and the surrounding context through steel, space and surgical incision.

Nave 16 Matadero by Virseda & Vila Architects, Madrid, Spain

Nave 16 Matadero is an award-winning cultural center and pavilion space in Madrid. The design features new metal insertions that transform an existing brick structure into large spaces with carefully controlled light.

Public Library and Socio-Cultural Center by Singular Studio, Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain

As a mixed-use library and cultural project, this center in Alicante is located in the seaside neighborhood of Javea. Inspired by its context, the project features a light, metal skin façade that appears as a floating box fused with a large metal “fishing net.”

Environmental Social Centerby CrystalZoo, Alicante, Valencian Community, Spain

Celebrating the surrounding landscape and context, this social center was built to extend on-site seasonal tourism. The building was designed to integrate with the terraced terrain while reinterpreting the riurau vernacular building style found throughout the area.