A Coruña opened the exhibition on 5 October 2026 Coruña brutalista in the Palacio Municipal de María Pita The exhibition is part of Semana da Arquitectura and brings into focus buildings that shaped the cityscape in the 1960s and 1970s with their exposed concrete. The city council announced the programme and published the opening hours and details.
The central example is the Torre Hercón, also known as the Torre Costa Rica The tower, designed by José Antonio Franco Taboada was built in the 1970s and stands 119 metres tall. It is regarded as the tallest building in Galicia and a prominent reference point for the regional reception of Brutalism. Photographs, plans and explanatory texts show how the structure and façade were used as means of expression, and which construction choices define the building’s character.
Alongside Torre Hercón, the exhibition brings together other landmark buildings: schools, churches, bus station complexes and apartment blocks where concrete is left exposed. The curators place these examples in the European context, where the term Brutalism entered professional language through the French béton brut and the work of British and continental European architects. The exhibition also highlights the local expression of the style, associated in A Coruña with vertical accents and large-scale infrastructure.
Debate about the conservation and reuse of this post-war architecture is currently gaining prominence. In A Coruña, the condition of individual Brutalist buildings, partial demolitions and possible renovation strategies have been discussed publicly. The exhibition distinguishes historical description from heritage assessments and refers to ongoing technical inspections. Specific restoration decisions and deadlines are matters for separate administrative procedures and are not pre-empted in the city’s agenda.
With Coruña brutalista, the city aims to provide an overview and prompt professional and public discussion: about the quality and vulnerability of the building stock, its everyday use, and priorities for maintenance and energy efficiency. By setting significant buildings such as Torre Hercón alongside lesser-known schools, churches and transport buildings, the exhibition paints a picture of an era whose unadorned honesty of materials is once again attracting attention. Semana da Arquitectura provides a platform for making the architectural heritage visible and discussing transparently the criteria for its future treatment.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).