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Faro Santander: David Chipperfield's New Cultural Center Opens in Spain

architecture-design · 2026-07-08

The Faro Santander cultural center is set to debut on September 8 in Santander, Spain, housed in the revamped former Banco Santander headquarters designed by architect David Chipperfield. This initiative by the Fundación Banco Santander transforms 10,000 square meters into an innovative museum, featuring over 3,000 square meters dedicated to exhibitions and five floors for cultural events aimed at youth. The center will showcase the bank's extensive 160-year collection, which includes pieces by artists such as El Greco and Miró, spanning from Lucas Cranach the Elder to Juan Uslé. Additionally, the opening will highlight the Gelman Collection of 20th-century Mexican art, currently overseen by Banco Santander until January 2027. Faro Santander has also received BREEAM Exceptional certification for its sustainability efforts.

Key facts

  • Faro Santander opens September 8 in Santander, Spain
  • David Chipperfield renovated the former Banco Santander headquarters
  • 10,000 square meters converted into a cultural center
  • Over 3,000 square meters for exhibitions
  • Five floors for cultural, social, and educational activities
  • First selection curated by María Dolores Jiménez Blanco
  • Works from Cranach to Uslé, including El Greco, Titian, Velázquez, Goya
  • Gelman Collection exhibited until January 2027
  • BREEAM Exceptional certification with score 92.96
  • Collection to return to Mexico by 2028

Entities

Artists

Institutions

  • Faro Santander
  • Centro Botín
  • Banco Santander
  • Fundación Banco Santander
  • David Chipperfield Architects
  • ARCOMadrid
  • Gelman Collection
  • Museo de Arte Moderno de México
  • Museo Marco
  • Neues Museum
  • Kunsthaus Zürich
  • Procuratie Nuove
  • Artribune
  • Colección Banco Santander
  • Colección Gelman Santander
  • Fundación RIA
  • Kingston School of Art
  • Architectural Association School of Architecture
  • RIBA
  • Mies van der Rohe Foundation
  • Praemium Imperiale
  • Bienal de Venecia
  • Archivio Lafuente
  • Museo Reina Sofía
  • Guggenheim Bilbao
  • Pritzker Prize
  • Santander Bank
  • Banco Santander Collection
  • Chipperfield Architects
  • Wallpaper*
  • Banco Santander Foundation
  • Pereda Building
  • Dezeen
  • Diariodesign
  • BREEAM
  • Fundación Santander
  • Reina Sofía Santander
  • Galerie Magazine
  • David Chipperfield Architects London
  • David Chipperfield Architects Santiago de Compostela
  • Escuela Superior de Música Reina Sofía
  • Reina Sofía
  • Archivo Lafuente

Locations

  • Santander
  • Spain
  • Cantabria
  • London
  • Corrubedo
  • Santiago de Compostela
  • Mexico City
  • Mexico
  • Monterrey
  • Berlin
  • Zurich
  • Venice
  • Edificio Pereda
  • Boadilla del Monte
  • Shanghai
  • Milan
  • Galicia
  • Paseo de Pereda
  • Marbach
  • Bay of Santander
  • Bilbao
  • Madrid
  • Pereda Building
  • Faro
  • Cantabrian coast
  • Paseo Pereda
  • Cantabrian Sea
  • Saint-Martin-d’Ardèche
  • Santander Bay
  • Jardines de Pereda

Sources

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