Marco Topo at Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura - Gijón

Discover Gijón by playing

The imposing Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura in Gijón provides the perfect setting for an unforgettable educational adventure with Marco Topo. Designed for families with children and school groups, the route invites visitors to discover the history, art and architecture of one of the largest civil buildings in Spain in a playful and participatory way. The route begins in Plaza Cívica, where you discover the origins of the complex. It was conceived in 1948 as a training centre for children orphaned by mining accidents, although it never fulfilled that original purpose because in 1955 it became Spain’s first Labour University. Its monumental architecture, including a great entrance arch inspired by Roman triumphal arches, welcomes visitors into a complex designed as a self-sufficient city within Gijón. From Plaza Cívica you enter the Corinthian Courtyard, a space reminiscent of Roman courtyards. Its ten ten-metre-high Corinthian columns are decorative rather than structural. The courtyard was later covered with a glass roof and connects directly with Plaza Central, an area of more than 8,000 square metres where the main buildings converge: the tower, church and theatre. Inspired by St Mark’s Square in Venice, this plaza serves as a meeting place and a venue for performances, guided tours and film shoots. One of the complex’s distinctive spaces is the Baroque Courtyard, with an oval plan and curved forms that contrast with Laboral’s overall classicism. Influenced by Italian Baroque architecture, its design brings movement to the ensemble. Nearby stands the large Laboral Theatre, the biggest in Asturias, with a capacity of 1,300 seats. Its classical façade is decorated with sculptures of Spanish writers, and today it hosts a varied cultural programme. The Painting Hall, created by Enrique Segura, offers a visual narrative of Laboral’s spirit. Its walls depict symbolic scenes of academic effort, traditional Asturian trades and student life, in a style reminiscent of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. The route continues to the Church, which has an elliptical ground plan and a dome described as the largest in Europe of its type. The façade features the Virgin of Covadonga, Saint James the Apostle on horseback and the Victory Cross. Mosaics around the church represent the Evangelists with their traditional symbols. The imposing 130-metre Observation Tower offers the best views over Gijón and the Laboral complex. At its foot were the former workshops, now the Integrated Vocational Training Centre, and the circular building that once housed a convent of Poor Clare nuns and is now home to the regional broadcaster Radiotelevisión del Principado de Asturias. Everyday spaces are also part of the experience. In the laundry, which was managed by the enclosed nuns, you can still see old wash basins, large washing machines, professional irons and a huge drying room. The kitchens once prepared food for more than 2,000 people a day and still preserve enormous pots, a pastry room and a logistics system of goods lifts and food tunnels that allowed the nuns to remain isolated. The café, located in the former teachers’ room, retains original furniture and is decorated with a large painting showing Asturian workers offering their labour to the Virgin of Covadonga. The route ends in the gardens, inspired by those of the Generalife at the Alhambra, with a central water channel lined by trees. From here you can see the assembly hall, whose shape recalls a ship, and Laboral’s sports facilities, including an athletics track, football pitch, tennis courts and swimming pool. The Marco Topo game at Laboral encourages visitors to have fun exploring and investigating this architectural complex. The combination of architecture, history, art and play makes Laboral Ciudad de la Cultura a unique place for learning through play and enjoying time together as a family.