The Pereda Building is steeped in history: it has served as a hotel, a rowing club, the headquarters of Banco Santander for nearly a century, and is currently undergoing a transformation into a cultural and leisure space.

The building dates back to 1795 and was rebuilt in 1880 after one of the fires that periodically devastated the city. When Banco Santander purchased it in 1919, it functioned simultaneously as a hotel and a rowing club. To convert it into its financial headquarters, inaugurated in 1923, its renovation was commissioned to the Cantabrian architect Ricardo Bastida.

More than 30 years passed before the second half of the building was added. The need to expand the head office was evident due to the Bank’s growth. Javier González de Riancho, also Cantabrian and the architect behind other emblematic works in Santander such as the Magdalena Palace, conceived the integration of the two blocks that make up the building today.

Construction began in 1958. Numbers 9 and 10 on Paseo de Pereda were acquired, and a twin building was erected. To connect both parts, Riancho designed a monumental arch that remains the symbol of the Pereda Building to this day. Through this arched structure, communication between the two buildings was established via a passageway at the upper level.

The façade incorporates four statues by the sculptor Blanes representing the arts, culture, commerce, and navigation. On the lower frieze, an allegory of banking protects four other sculptural symbols: industry, blast furnaces, mining, and sports. The new composition of the building was inaugurated in 1963.

Throughout all its stages, it has been a landmark for the city. Its exceptional location on Paseo de Pereda, linking the sea and the gardens with the urban center, has always given it a prominent role in the urban development of Santander.

This time, David Chipperfield, a Pritzker Prize laureate and a key figure in contemporary architecture, is leading the transformation that will allow it to adapt to its new social and cultural role.