Breakdown of massive volumes in Santiago de Compostela

An impressive housing development in a regenerated former railway area expresses an effective balance between settlement density and reduced visual impact, thanks to the play of volumes and facade textures.

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 Photo Luís Díaz Díaz

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 site plan

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 ground floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 first floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 second floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 third floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 fourth floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 fifth floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 sixth floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 attic floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 roof floor

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 elevations

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 sections

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022 technical section

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Chiara Testoni
25 January 2023
Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Carbajo Barrios
18,545.55 sqm (above ground), 9,955.23 sqm (underground)
residential
2022

In the area of the former Cornes railway station, adjacent to the old building now restored and housing the headquarters of local associations ("Casa das Asocacións"), Santiago de Compostela-based studio Carbajo Barrios has designed an impressive housing development: the complex consists of three monolithic volumes, measuring between 70 m and 100 m in length and 12 m in width, laid out longitudinally and running parallel to each other, housing 125 flats of 22 different types (from duplexes to single-storey dwellings) distributed over six above-ground floors, and garages and parking spaces on two underground floors; a play room, a gym and a multifunctional space complete the work, offering spaces for community life.

The buildings are connected to each other by entirely pedestrian public spaces - a main transversal axis and a system of longitudinal connections among ramps, stairs and paths on several levels due to the variable orography of the site - delimiting richly planted green areas and small squares.

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022. Photo Luís Díaz Díaz

The imposing scale of the buildings is mitigated by effective compositional devices. To soften the perceptual impact of the buildings, the fully glazed elevations are wrapped in a grid of prefabricated concrete slabs and pillars - in a ferruginous colour reminiscent of the industrial nature of the site - measuring 20x20 cm and with a tight pitch of 80 cm, which acts as a brise soleil and breaks up the continuity of the surfaces, generating a lively chiaroscuro pattern. The staggering of the volumes every two storeys decompresses the compact parallelepiped geometry creating, between projections and recesses, a pleasantly unexpected dynamism of the façades that seems to spring from a telluric motion.

Carbajo Barrios, Cornes Espacio Residencial, Santiago de Compostela, Spain 2022. Photo Luís Díaz Díaz

Cornes Espacio Residencial
Manuel Carbajo Capeáns, Celso Barrios Ceide
David Camiño Quintela, Laura Pardo, Beatriz Asorey, Alejandro Calviño Pérez
Enrique Martínez Carregal
Cenlitrometrocadrado (Ricardo Tubío – Xabier Rilo)
Orza Paisajismo (Carmela Moral Ardines)
Obradoiro Enxeñeiros (Carmelo Freire Beiro)
Ameneiros Rey Arquitectos (Ismael Ameneiros – Santiago Rey)
Juan Alvarez, Fátima Amo, Laura Fernández, Inés González, Samuel Pérez
Cornes Espacio Residencial SL