Centro Botín aspires to be:
• An art centre of reference in Spain, part of the European circuit of top-level art centres, which stands out for the excellence of its programming and ensures that the arts contribute to the improvement of people and society.
• A lively and friendly place, a regular meeting place for citizens, where they can enjoy, learn and be inspired thanks to the diversity of artistic experiences offered for all audiences.
• And a driving force for the generation of economic, social and cultural wealth on the Cantabrian coast.
The Centro Botín is an art centre designed by architect and Pritzker Prize winner Renzo Piano, in collaboration with luis vidal + architects. It is located in a privileged place in Santander, and through a wider urban intervention, Renzo Piano manages to integrate the city centre and the historic Pereda Gardens with its bay. Light and lightness have been essential aspects in the architect's conception of the project. Cantilevered over the sea, the building does not touch the ground, but is suspended on pillars and columns at the height of the treetops of the Pereda Gardens, acting as a "pier" over the sea. This elevation allows light to pass through and provides views of the bay, in complete integration with the surroundings.
Since winning the competition to design the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris with Richard Rogers in 1971, Renzo Piano, winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 1998, has demonstrated a unique ability to create buildings in which art and culture can be experienced and which blend in perfectly with their surroundings.
For this reason, the Botín Foundation turned to his studio, Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), to tackle the most important project in its 50-year history: the Centro Botín.
The Marcelino Botín Foundation was created in 1964 by Marcelino Botín Sanz de Sautuola and his wife, Carmen Yllera, to promote the social development of Cantabria. More than fifty years later, and maintaining its main focus on the region, the Foundation is active throughout Spain and Latin America, contributing to the integral development of society by exploring new ways of detecting creative talent and investing in it to generate cultural, social and economic wealth.
The Foundation develops programmes in the fields of art and culture, education, science and rural development, and supports social institutions in Cantabria to reach those most in need. It also has a space for reflection and action for the detection and development of talent.