CORUNA, SPAIN
Satellite image of City of Culture of Galicia
Plan
Aerial view during construction
Halted construction
Halted construction
Aerial view
Path into the complex
Path into the complex
City of Culture of Galicia
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PROJECT NAME
LOCATION
STATUS
START YEAR
BUILT YEAR
LAND SIZE
MAIN PROGRAM
PATRON
COST
City of Culture of Galicia
Coruna, Spain
Built
1999
2013
0.63 sqkm
Cultural
Parliamen of Galicia
US$326 million
City of Culture of Galicia is created at the height of Spanish economic boom, when the government of Galicia decided to build a new attraction next to the historical town of Santiago de Compostela (a UNESCO listed World Heritage site). As there are often many tourists in Santiago, the projected attendance figures for City of Culture of Galicia was extremely high. In order to attract this large number of visitors, the government of Galicia hired world renowned architect Peter Eisenmann to design an extravagant structure that is fit to create a destination. However, the budget of the project has more than doubled due to the organic designs of the structures. On top of that, the center has not attracted many tourists as most visitors to Santiago was not interested in the hyper modern mega structure up the hill. Subsequently, the project was terminated in 2013, leaving 2 out of the 6 designed buildings unbuilt.
The 2008 Spanish economic crisis did not play any favors for the already ballooned budget for the City of Culture of Galicia. Mistrust between the government, the architect, and the local neighborhoods quickly escalated, and the project was plunged into a management nightmare for all those involved. Today, few visitors are received at the center; especially with the shrinking funding the center receives every year, the exhibitions are not attractive enough for tourists to make the trip.
RELATED MEDIA COVERS
THE GUARDIAN: Spain's extravagant City of Culture opens amid criticism
ARCHITECT: Coda to a Career: Eisenman's City of Culture
ARCHDAILY: The City of Culture / Eisenman Architects