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‘La Base y la Cruz’ Chosen to Recast Spain’s Cuelgamuros Memorial

The winning concept reframes the Franco‑era complex with an open‑air portal to support a victims‑focused interpretation under Spain’s Democratic Memory law.

Overview

  • The international jury selected the proposal from a field of 34 entries after shortlisting ten finalists, with deliberations guided by artistic, political, emotional and spiritual criteria.
  • The design breaks the monument’s axiality through a prominent fissure and horizontal portal leading to a circular sky‑open vestibule, while keeping interventions inside the basilica to a minimum.
  • The project’s funding envelope is about €30 million, including roughly €4 million for the competition and design phase and about €26 million for construction and museography.
  • A technical cooperation agreement preserves the Benedictine community and religious symbols at the site, with worship continuing as the complex is reinterpreted as a center of inclusive memory.
  • An eight‑month drafting phase begins now, with formal adjudication expected in 2026 and execution timelines described in reports as multi‑year, ranging from roughly two to four years.