Centro Botín
Renzo Piano Building Workshop; Luis Vidal + Architects · Santander, Spain · 2017
Centro Botín lifts its two main volumes above Santander's waterfront, allowing public routes and views to continue between the city and the bay. Renzo Piano Building Workshop, working with Luis Vidal + Architects, completed the cultural centre in 2017. Its rounded, ceramic-clad forms contain exhibition and educational spaces, joined by elevated circulation and terraces. The building extends the experience of the Pereda Gardens toward the water rather than closing off the shoreline. Pay attention to the ground beneath the galleries and the external stairs, which make the project an urban connection as well as a museum. Visiting: Galleries require tickets. Public paths beneath and around the raised buildings remain a separate experience.