Fodor's Expert Review Cidade da Cultura
Santiago de Compostela
Notable Building
More than a decade in the making, Santiago's City of Culture is a controversial striated-stone-and-glass edifice on Monte Gaiás. It was meant to whisk Galician culture into the future but fell short: construction was stopped in 2013 due to delays and mismanagement. A pared-down version has since opened with a museum, an archive library, temporary art exhibits, and cultural attractions including concerts and talks. The design of the complex, by the American architect Peter Eisenman, takes inspiration from the shape of a scallop shell, the emblem of St. James.
