La Laboral de Gijón, historical curiosities of the largest building in Spain

You know what The Labor of Gijon It is considered by its dimensions as the largest building in Spain?

Indeed, with its 270.000 square meters, this majestic building has been one of the icons of the coastal city of Gijón, and your visit should not be missing from the agenda of a trip through Asturias.

Since the first time I went to Gijón, many years ago, I was always struck by the majesty of the building that was then the headquarters of the Labor University, and which at that time was not a tourist attraction.

Now, however, after its last remodeling, and since March 2007, the building is the headquarters of Labor City of Culture, a space where different cultural institutions are concentrated, and one of the most popular meeting points among residents and visitors of Gijón.

Curiosities and history of La Laboral de Gijón

Below you have some historical data and curiosities about Laboral de Gijón.

1.- This building, which has always been identified as the headquarters of one of the labor universities that were launched during the Franco regime, was not actually built for that purpose.

It was in 1945 when, after a serious work accident in a mine in the Caudal basin, it was decided to start the construction of a school for orphans of parents who were victims of mining accidents.

This project contemplated housing up to a thousand students with all types of facilities for student life, including residence, industrial workshops, farm or sports facilities.

But during the construction process under the direction of the Madrid architect Luis Moya White, labor ministry decided to create the aforementioned labor universities, so the orphanage project was converted into the Labor University of Gijón.

2.- It will not surprise you to know that the direction and management of this new labor university was entrusted to the Jesus company and the nuns of the Order of the Poor Clares.

It was not until 1978, after the arrival of democracy in Spain, when the management passed into the hands of the university's teaching staff.

3.- An example of the majesty of the building is that, in its time, the Labor University of Gijón It was the largest secondary education institute in Spain, with more than 3.000 students.

4.- As was the case with the Parthenon in Athens, the building of the Labor It was conceived by its architect with his back to the city ​​of Gijón, so that to reach its entrance you had to go around it and, in this way, appreciate its grandeur.

5.- Another example of this grandeur is its enormous central patio, 150 meters long and 50 meters wide, with dimensions similar to those of the famous St. Mark's Square in Venice.

6.- In line with the time in which it was built, the architectural complex could not miss a large church, which became the largest elliptical plant in the world.

On the outside, the large Corinthian figures and the majestic figures stand out, among which the Virgin of Covadonga and Apostle Santiago on horseback.

Bronze, marble and colored stones are materials that are abundant both outside and inside the house. La Laboral church in Gijón.

To highlight the wood embero brought from Equatorial Guinea with which the church pews were made with capacity for a thousand students and teachers.

7.- The large tower that is located next to the church has a height of 130 meters, and is the tallest building in Asturias and the tallest stone building in Spain.

You can climb the Laboral tower in Gijón Signing up for the guided tours that take place every day in this great cultural center.

8.- El Laboral Theater It has capacity for up to 1.500 people, and in its time it was the first fully air-conditioned theater in Europe.

Currently it offers an extensive show programming, among which there is no shortage of great classical music concerts, like the one I was able to see on my last visit, and musicals.

9.- Among the different institutions that now concentrate on Gijón Laboral they find the Faculty of Commerce, Tourism and Social Sciences, Higher School of Dramatic Arts of Asturias and Conservatory of Music.

10. – Finally I will highlight that outside the main building, where the old university workshops were located, you now have LABoral Center for Art and Industrial Creation, home to contemporary art exhibitions, as well as a place where research, workshops and training courses are carried out, and which you can also visit.