Conjunto Cornes Espacio Residencial: A Contemporary Housing Complex Rooted in History

Conjunto Cornes Espacio Residencial by Carbajo Barrios Arquitectos is a landmark residential development in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, designed to blend modern living with the site’s rich industrial and railway heritage. Covering 28,500 m², the project reimagines the former Cornes Railway Station grounds into a vibrant residential community centered on natural light, open spaces, and human-scale architecture.

A Diverse Residential Program for Modern Living

The housing complex includes 125 apartments, diverse in layout and typology, with 22 different configurations ranging from single-level units to spacious duplex homes. Alongside residences, the development offers practical amenities such as garages, storage rooms, and thoughtfully designed shared community spaces including:

• A children’s playroom
• A modern fitness center
• A communal dining space

The entire complex is dedicated exclusively to residential use, ensuring a peaceful and cohesive environment for inhabitants.

A Site Rich in Railway Heritage

The project sits on a historic site formerly occupied by the Cornes Railway Station, established in 1873, and part of Galicia’s first railway line. Although the station ceased passenger service in 1943, parts of the building were later rehabilitated and today serve as the Casa das Asociaciones. This layered past inspired the architects to design a contemporary residential space that respects and revitalizes its industrial legacy.

Pedestrian-Friendly Outdoor Spaces and Green Corridors

Urban planning guidelines structured the complex into three linear blocks connected by two green, pedestrian-only outdoor spaces. Rather than traditional plazas, these areas function like landscaped corridors, shaped by the natural slope of the site and divided across two levels.

A central elevated green platform creates:

• Transversal pathways leading to residential units
• Longitudinal green routes that visually connect to neighboring parks
• Light-filled voids that ventilate and illuminate lower-level garages and storage rooms

A transversal passage through the buildings enhances openness, improves movement, and visually expands the space between blocks.

Architecture Focused on Natural Light and Views

The design emphasizes maximizing natural light and framing scenic views of nearby parks and the city. The three buildings range from 60 to 100 meters in length, each formed by a 12-meter structural bay wrapped with an overhanging perimeter.

A fully glazed enclosure lines the perimeter corridors, allowing residents to experience an outdoor–indoor threshold. A brise-soleil lattice filters sunlight and enhances privacy between facing buildings.

This external layer becomes the defining architectural "skin" of the complex—made of 20×20 cm colored concrete pieces, spaced at rhythmic intervals to create a tactile and visually appealing façade.

Dynamic Geometry and Industrial-Inspired Materiality

To reduce the visual mass created by the site’s planning geometry, the architects paired floors in sets of two slabs and introduced subtle angular shifts on certain levels. These movements break up the prismatic envelope, adding depth and dynamism to the otherwise linear buildings.

The façade features a distinctive ferruginous-tinted concrete, chosen to:

• Stand out from the surrounding urban palette
• Evoke the industrial character of the historic railway site
• Create a bold contemporary identity for the Cornes neighborhood

The result is an architectural ensemble that becomes a visual marker within the city’s expanding southwestern frontage.

All the photographs are works of BANDALUX