Instituto de Ciencias de la Construcción Eduardo Torroja
The Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science (IETcc) is a research centre of the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), belonging to the Materials Science and Technology division. Its main purpose is to conduct scientific research and technological development in the field of construction, materials and related performance aspects.
Opened in 1953, the building for the new headquarters of what was then the Technical Institute for Construction and Cement, now the Eduardo Torroja Institute for Construction Science, was designed by architects Manuel Barbero and Gonzalo Echegaray, under the direction and supervision of civil engineer Eduardo Torroja, the Institute’s director.
The functionalist-style building represents a milestone in industrial and research architecture, both nationally and internationally, and was a model of interdisciplinary collaboration between architecture and engineering. The new headquarters was built on the El Bosque estate in Chamartín-Costillares. The site’s characteristics, a pine-covered plot with uneven terrain and a steep slope facing west, posed both aesthetic and functional challenges. The project took shape as a composition of interlinked volumes, each designed for maximum functional efficiency and carefully adapted to the setting, integrating the landscape as a key element of the overall design.
Economic considerations led to modular repetition and standardisation of construction elements, a remarkably modern approach for its time. This not only optimised resources but also created distinctive design features, such as the window frames and gargoyles, which have become hallmarks of the building.
Noteworthy features include the circular dining room, the water tank, the dodecahedral coal silo, the workshop roofs, and the pergolas known as Las Costillas and Los Sietes. The furniture, designed by architect Manuel Barbero, remains in use today, performing its original function within the Institute.
Updated: 09/09/2026
