Artillery Barracks Pavilion 2

For nearly 80 years, the Artillery Barracks in Murcia, Spain served as the home of Seville’s 33rd Infantry Regiment. But today, the Barracks are a cultural center where city residents can participate in art programs. Though the building was once a symbol of war, it is now a haven for creation.

The Barracks were built by Spain’s Ministry of War, who decided that the 33rd Infantry Regiment needed a homebase. Between 1921 and 1928, a total of six pavilions were constructed in the Barrio del Carmen. Colorful and eclectic, the pavilions were designed in Neo-medieval and Neo-mudejar (Iberian) style.

In 1936, a coup d’etat in Spain led to a military uprising against the government. In Murcia, capital workers surrounded the Artillery Barracks to stave off any coup action and by doing so, prevented an uprising in the city. Nevertheless, civil war broke out in Spain, the Republic was defeated, and dictator Fransisco Franco presided over the country until his death in 1975.

During the reform period of the 1980s, the city of Murcia established a restoration and rehabilitation program to transform the historic military complex. As a result, the Barracks now contain the Culture Center in Pavilion 2, a library in Pavilion 3, a museum and aquarium in Pavilion 4, a contemporary arts center in Pavilion 5, and a music center in Pavilion 6.