{"id":704974,"date":"2026-07-22T09:22:14","date_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:22:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/704974\/"},"modified":"2026-07-22T09:22:14","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T09:22:14","slug":"chipperfield-reworks-former-spanish-bank-headquarters-as-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/704974\/","title":{"rendered":"Chipperfield reworks former Spanish bank headquarters as museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

The practice has completed the renovation and rework of the Paseo de Pereda Building in the seaside city of Santander in northern Spain as the new museum and cultural centre, Faro Santander, due to open to the public on 8 September 2026.<\/p>\n

The 10-storey building will house the Banco Santander Collection of art, which spans over a thousand works, alongside temporary exhibitions and installations.<\/p>\n

The renovated interior provides over 10,000m\u00b2 of usable \ufb02oor space across 10 \ufb02oors, of which some 3,000m\u00b2 is set aside for galleries distributed across \ufb01ve \ufb02oors. The top two \ufb02oors will feature a roof terrace caf\u00e9 and restaurant, while three basement levels will house an auditorium and building facilities.<\/p>\n

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The building, the oldest part of the which dates back to 1795, has been gradually expanded over the years. Its east wing was originally a 19th-century residential building, converted into Banco Santander\u2019s headquarters in 1923. A major expansion took place in 1961, with a replica of the original building, designed by architect Javier Gonz\u00e1lez de Riancho, built on the west side and linked to the eastern part by an arch spanning Calle Marcelino Sanz de Sautuola.<\/p>\n

The biggest transformation is to the interior, which had over years become compartmentalised. The central arch has been reimagined as the building\u2019s central spine, thanks to the partial enclosure of its upper section, off which sits the main circulation of the building, including an exposed concrete spiral staircase, linking up to the gallery spaces. New additions include a lightweight steel roof-top pavilion.<\/p>\n

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The project, from which over 95 per cent of construction waste was recovered, has an innovative climate-control system combining geothermal energy with thermally activated building systems. It also incorporates green roofs and reuses rainwater for irrigation. The building has achieved a BREEAM Outstanding certi\ufb01cation. The score of 96 is the world\u2019s highest registered by a museum or cultural space.<\/p>\n

David Chipperfield first revealed designs for the public art gallery in 2019<\/a>. The bank, which was based in the building for 95 years, has moved its headquarters to the nearby Banesto building, remodelled by Spanish architects Antonio Cruz and Antonio Ortiz.<\/p>\n

Chipperfield\u2019s other work in Spain includes The America\u2019s Cup Building in Valencia, a base for\u00a0the world\u2019s premier sailing racing competition,\u00a0nominated for the RIBA Stirling Prize in 2007<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Architect\u2019s view<\/p>\n

Architecturally, it boasts a complex and multi-layered history. We focused on rethinking the spaces and connections a public building needs, while recognising that the real signi\ufb01cance of the project lies in the institution\u2019s commitment to openness, culture and participation. Changing the building\u2019s use is an act of generosity and foresight, one that acknowledges the importance of cultural institutions not only as guardians of art and heritage but as active protagonists in civic life. The project is the result of a shared ambition to reimagine Banco Santander\u2019s former o\ufb03ces as a civic and cultural space for the city.<\/p>\n

David Chipperfield, founder and principal, David Chipperfield Architects\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Section<\/p>\n

Source: David Chipperfield Architects <\/p>\n

Client\u2019s view<\/p>\n

The transformation was about pursuing our vision of creating a cultural centre that is open to everyone \u2013 somewhere that is welcoming and accessible, with wonderfully diverse and high-quality spaces, where every visitor can enjoy a truly unique experience.<\/p>\n

Daniel Vega P\u00e9rez de Arlucea, director, Faro Santander<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"\"<\/p>\n

Section<\/p>\n

Source: David Chipperfield Architects <\/p>\n

Project data<\/p>\n

Location Santander, Spain
Start on site 2018
Completion\u00a02026
Gross internal floor area 10,400m2
Gross (internal + external) floor area 11,200m\u00b2
Procurement\u00a0Via competition (2017-18)
Construction cost Undisclosed
Architect David Chipperfield Architects London, David Chipperfield Architects Santiago de Compostela
Client Banco Santander
Structural engineer\u00a0Bernabeu Ingenieros & IDOM
M&E consultant\u00a0\u00darculo Ingenieros Consultores & IDOM
QS iMarq & IDOM
Landscape consultant Javier Mariategui
Acoustic consultant Margarida Ac\u00fastica
Project manager Banco Santander
Principal designer David Chipperfield Architects
Main contractor Ferrovial<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The practice has completed the renovation and rework of the Paseo de Pereda Building in the seaside city…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":704975,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[188169,6225,6485,6486,48740,1120,96,26588,12727,640,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-704974","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-art-museum","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-david-chipperfield-architects","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-retrofit","tag-santander","tag-spain","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704974","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=704974"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/704974\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/704975"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=704974"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=704974"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=704974"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}