Centres

The Barrié Foundation works from the two largest cities in Galicia, co-ordinating its activity from the north and south and amplifying it to the rest of the region. Both centres are the scenario for a continuous programme, with lectures, seminars, exhibitions and concerts, as well as daily teaching activities for schools and the general public.

The centre in A Coruña opened in 1995 right in the heart of the city, where it covers 8,000 square meters distributed in flexible spaces for meetings and conferences, an auditorium for 369 people and 1,000 square meters of showrooms.
A benchmark for the social and cultural life of the city of A Coruña, the Foundation is housed in a classical building next to the Banco Pastor, on the Canton Grande, a traditional meeting place for both locals and visitors.  

The opening of the centre in Vigo, in October 2005, enabled the Foundation to take a leap forward in terms of qualitative impact.The numerous activities held in the centre have made it possible to substantially enrich the Foundation’s programme thanks to an emblematic building and unique furnishing, and above all, it has taken its services to the south of Galicia.

In 2007, the Vigo centre was awarded two prestigious prizes: the FAD Prize for Architecture and Interior Design, in the interior design category, and the Saloni Award in the category of Interior Architecture. Both awards recognised the restoration work in the centre, which lies behind the façade of a building designed by local architect Manuel Gómez Román in 1919. The restoration was undertaken by architects Emilio Tuñón and Luis Mansilla, whose project came up with a contemporary response, balanced and adapted to the Foundation’s needs. The restoration resulted in nearly 3,000 square meters, versatile and flexible, distributed over five floors. On the ground floor is the auditorium or “box of miracles”, an extremely high, flexible and changeable space, capable of being transformed through the incorporation of advanced theatrical and stage technology, thereby changing the floor, hiding panels and making objects and curtains come down, so it can be used for presentations, exhibitions, concerts etc. In addition, the centre boasts two multipurpose floors for travelling exhibitions while on the top floor is an assembly hall equipped with a mechanism that allows seats to be hidden, leaving the space open to be used as an additional exhibition room, or a versatile workshop.