Llotja de Sant Jordi

Monuments

This extensive space, made from concrete and granite, was created between 1992 and 1995 by the Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava, and was designed to simulate the skeleton of a huge animal. It was inaugurated in 1997 and has hosted a number of cultural and social activities. The main vault of this subterranean hall, finished in an immaculate white, is supported by a series of parabolic arches, a typical feature of Calatrava’s work. The hall is accessed from Plaça d’Espanya, the main square of Alcoi, via a system of hydraulic doors which open onto two stairways, which when closed are disguised by barred trapdoors. Once inside the hall, at the main entrance the visitor finds himself at the tail of the animal, while at the opposite end there is the head. It is worth highlighting the wonderful natural light that illuminates the hall through the ceiling, along with the fact that it follows the contours of Plaça d’Espanya, including the slight slope of this Town Square.