Casa De Paredes

The Casas de Paredes in A Coruña are a remarkable ensemble of Neoclassical buildings, construction of which began in 1778. Named after Captain General García de Paredes, who was a driving force behind the project, they were built through the work of several military engineers active in northern Galicia as part of the Bourbon reforms. The original aim was to improve the view of the city from the sea and to design the entire Atlantic façade of Marineda between the Cantón Grande and the Puerta Real. The existing Casa da Aduanas, which now serves as the seat of the Government Sub-delegation, was meant to be the centerpiece.

Although the project was never fully completed because of a lack of funds, it remains one of the most singular undertakings in the city during the Enlightenment. The façade was designed by Pedro Martín Cermeño, an architect from Melilla who also worked on Lérida Cathedral. The buildings display an academic aesthetic modeled on French harbor architecture. Characteristic features include the arcaded ground floors, the continuous balconies on the second floor (first floor in European usage) with windows decorated with triangular motifs, and the plainer rows of windows on the upper floor.

As one of the first modern urban planning experiments in Galicia, the project also pursued hygiene goals for the fish market district. It was meant to modernize the appearance of the growing commercial city and reflect the ideals of the Enlightenment. Despite the unfinished construction work, which left a gap near the Callejón de la Estacada, among other places, the buildings testify to a rationalist, technically grounded approach that left a lasting mark on the cityscape of A Coruña.