Under normal circumstances, you’d want to visit a place because of its beauty, culture, gastronomic traditions and history. However, there are some places in Spain that you really have to see, just because they are so incredibly ugly.
Mammoth blocks of concrete dumped right in the heart of historic centres, egotistical commercial centres that stick out like a sore thumb and towers that look like they have been painted by a colour-blind child – these are some of the monstrosities presented by a number of our national architects, which are unfortunately on sight in quite a few of our major cities. Maybe you’ve seen some of them?
Edificio La Pirámide, Alicante
It’s difficult to escape this one, as if you happen to be anywhere up high in the city of Alicante, you’ll probably be met with this eyesore in your line of vision. In a predominantly residential area just on the outskirts of the city centre, where the majority of oblong-shaped buildings have been constructed in white or red brick, and are all more or less facing in one direction, the Edificio La Pirámide, which is an unsightly shade of yellow and shaped like a haphazard pyramid, looks like it has been picked up by a huge crane and deposited on top of the nearest flat building – the wrong way. The block, whose real name is Edificio Montreal but is referred to as ‘La Pirámide’ by local residents, was erected in the 80s after being designed by Alicante architect Alfonso Navarro.
Museo Pablo Serrano, Zaragoza
If it’s possible that underneath the giant statue heads on Easter Island the rest of their bodies are buried, then it would also be plausible to assume that underneath the foundations of the city of Zaragoza hides a huge robot, whose giant head can be seen in the shape of the Pablo Serrano Museum. This unsightly black structure that resembles the head of a Transformer is the work of José Manuel Pérez, an architect from Aragón.
Centro Botín, Santander
The Botín Centre in Santander is named after the late Emilio Botín, former executive chairman of the Santander Group, which has its headquarters in Santander, where Botín was born on 1 October 1934. When viewed from a height, the structure is somewhat phallic-looking, and looks like it’s emerging from the sea and thrusting itself into the city. Despite the fact that the building appears that it was built several decades ago, it is yet to be completed. Botín himself actually invested 77 million euro into the construction of the centre, which was built by OHL (Spanish-based multinational construction group) and Italian architect Renzo Piano.
Estribanubes, Valencia
This building is not pretty at all. A skyscraper on the edge of a not very busy road, with no other tall buildings around, the Torre Miramar on the Avenida de Catalunya in Valencia looks very out of place. The tower, constructed by Toni Moya, opened in 2011 after an investment of 24 million euro, but, unfortunately, closed six months later, when the lift broke down.
Edificio Mirador, Madrid
Competing in the category of ugly buildings in the Madrid district of Sanchinarro is a tough task. There are so many to choose from, but there is one that wins hands down due to its oddness. The square skyscraper is made out of different coloured blocks that make it look like a giant Lego contraption, and the colours of different shades of grey, black and red ensure that everyone notices it – and not in a good way. However, its masterpiece is the fact that a huge section within the upper third of the building has been completely extracted, leaving a huge, gaping hole. The Edificio Mirador is referred to by local residents as the “Edificio Bin Laden” because it looks like the hole has been designed so that the aeroplanes that have been hijacked by the al-Qaeda founder can fly through the building instead of crash straight into it.
Edificio Walden 7, Barcelona
Being contracted to design a building intended for social housing gives the architect in charge the perfect excuse to carry out his most whacky and depraved creative work. And that’s definitely the case here for Ricardo Bofill, who was given the task of coming up with a model for this block of flats in Barcelona during the 70s. Inspired by the classic science-fiction novel Walden Two, written by behavioural psychologist B.F. Skinner in 1948, this labyrinth-like structure that is supposed to function as a self-run and managed vertical city was the result. Warning signals should have been picked up just from the architect’s plans alone, but sadly the alarm bells weren’t ringing loudly enough, and bits of the building began to break off and come apart shortly after its inauguration in 1980.
Parroquia de Santa Mónica, Zaragoza
On the day that beings from outer space make an official visit to Earth in order to introduce themselves, they’ll have a difficult choice as to where this ceremony should take place. On the one hand, they could go for the Scientology headquarters in Los Angeles, or, if they’re looking for something a bit more low-key, there’s always the humble Santa Mónica church in Zaragoza. This actually looks like a cross between a prison watchtower and a spaceship that has just landed on top of a Tesco supermarket, which we’re sure isn’t the look that the architect Agustinos Recoletos was going for.
Palacio de Congresos, Oviedo
Not so long ago, it was deemed that every important city and place worthy of a visit should have two essential structures in its skyline: a building designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and a Corte Inglés. Those that didn’t have these two key ingredients were ostracised from the rest and considered less esteemed. And so, Oviedo, the Asturian capital, was counted as one of the great capitals as soon as this monstrosity of a building was erected in the form of the Palacio de Congresos, or Parliament. This home to the province’s members of Parliament and politicians bears somewhat of a resemblance to Valencia’s Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, yet it also reminds me of a colossal white cockroach.
Edificio Exín Castillos, Quiroga (Lugo)
The municipality of Quiroga in Galicia is a beautiful area of rolling hills, green valleys and running water. Approximately 50% of the land is protected and the main activities carried out here are farming, animal breeding and mining. It’s a stunning place. That’s until you come across the Edificio Exín Castillos on the outskirts of the town. Exín Castillos is, in fact, a line of plastic block toy, similar to Lego, that was designed by a company in Barcelona in 1968 for children to build castle-like buildings. This chalet in the province of Lugo looks like one of them – and it’s not pretty. In reality, the architect is unknown, and according to the local press, the Exín building does not even have an opening license. What’s more worrying, perhaps, is that neither does it possess the minimal sense of taste in its appearance.
Edificio V Centenario, Melilla
And, it’s difficult to get away from these spaceship-like buildings, even when you’re in a different continent, like Africa. Those that arrive to the Spanish colony from the south of the peninsula by boat are welcomed by this startling sight in the form of the V Centenario tower more or less as soon as they set foot on dry land. The reflective glass building with two antennae on top is occupied by various public entities, although it looks like it should be home to a few more of those beings from outer space.
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