José Ángel Valente Cultural Centre

It is named after one of the most universal poets of Ourense. In its time this building was the headquarters of the Bank of Spain, opened in 1930. In 2010 it was remodeled keeping the original decoration, but adapting the ground floor to devote it to the cultural activities of the city, especially exhibitions. This hall occupies only the ground floor, while the upper floors are the office of the land registry, with a separate entrance via Concordia street.

The building, from 1929, was designed by architects Juan de Zavala Lafora and José Yarnoz Larrosa. The former was a collaborator of Le Corbusier and the later won the Gold Medal of Fine Arts and was a member of the Academy of San Fernando. The restoration project led to its complete emptying, respecting the original typology and heritage elements. Thus, the exterior façade remains intact, with access to Paseo street, the woodwork on the ground floor and the spatial configuration of the piano nobile.

We must highligh the elegant stained glass window that brings light into the space, a magnificent restoration of the original one closing the central patio of the building.