DAVID CHIPPERFIELD REOPENS THE PEREDA BUILDING TO THE CITY
David Chipperfield Architects completes the transformation of the historic Pereda Building in northern into Faro Santander, a new center for art, culture, and technology set to open on September 8, 2026. Formerly the main headquarters of Banco Santander, the protected building now contains more than 10,000 square meters of usable space across ten levels, marking the studio’s first museum project completed in the country.
The complex has evolved gradually since its earliest sections were constructed in 1795, resulting in a layered interior shaped by different periods, architectural languages, and institutional uses. Located on the waterfront of Santander, a city on Spain’s northern coast, the building presented a monumental exterior while its former offices remained largely private and compartmentalized. The intervention reorganizes these spaces around a more open and publicly accessible sequence.
new additions introduce a contemporary layer | all images by Juan Baraja
THE CENTRAL ARCH BECOMES THE BUILDING’S PUBLIC SPINE
David Chipperfield Architects reinterprets the building’s monumental central arch as the project’s main organizing element. By partially enclosing its upper level, the studio turns the large void into a visible circulation spine that connects the exhibition floors and reveals movement through the building from the entrance.
New access points beneath the arch reinforce its role as a gateway between the city and Santander Bay. Inside, an exposed-concrete spiral staircase begins a sequence of stairs that rises through the arch and links the entrance with the galleries above. Lightweight steel structures define David Chipperfield Architects’ new interventions, including the enclosed arch and rooftop pavilion, contrasting with the mass and material character of the existing building.
the historic Pereda Building overlooks Santander Bay
ADAPTIVE REUSE SUPPORTS A LOW-IMPACT CULTURAL BUILDING
Around 3,000 square meters are distributed across five exhibition levels, while the upper floors accommodate a café terrace and restaurant overlooking the city and bay. Three basement levels contain an auditorium, technical infrastructure, and the systems required to support the new cultural program.
The project preserves and adapts the existing structure rather than replacing it, reducing the waste and embodied carbon associated with new construction. Geothermal energy and a thermally activated building system regulate the interior climate, while green roofs, rainwater reuse, cycling infrastructure, and the recovery of more than 95 percent of construction waste extend the environmental strategy. The project has received a BREEAM Exceptional design-stage rating of 92.96, described by the team as the highest recorded for a museum or cultural center.
visitors move through a sequence of interconnected spaces