Research Institutes, Santiago de Compostela
Manuel Gallego Jorreto 

Research Institutes, Santiago de Compostela

Manuel Gallego Jorreto 


In the foothills of the Compostela campus, and next to one of its main access ways, arise three equal and distinct prisms. Their similarities and differences derive from both a lack of definition in the program and from the characteristics of the site. The sequential order of the buildings, elevated over a lower-ground floor pedestal provides for unity in the ensemble; while the slope of the terrain causes small variations in the volume and form of each unit. These buildings are compact on the exterior and flexible on the interior. They are crowned by smaller volumes with the libraries facing a tree-lined garden on its west side. There the facade opens with large glass windows. The concrete structure is cladded with large slabs of local granite leaving the joints open; the aluminum window frames and zinc roof conclude the concert of different shades of gray.