Introduction: A Land that Encapsulates the History of Euskadi
The Loyola Barracks, nestled on the banks of the the Urumea River, are much more than 17.5 hectares of coveted land. Since its construction in 1888 as a military bastion, they have witnessed wars, political resistance and urban planning struggles. Its history is intertwined with the most turbulent moments of Euskadi, from the Civil War to the democratic transition, reflecting the sociopolitical transformations of the region.
During the 20th century, the barracks were a nerve center for the defense and control of the city, but also a focus of controversy due to their symbolism in the context of the Basque conflict. The military presence generated citizen protests and was the subject of debates about the demilitarization of the territory.
In February 2025, this space stands as the epicenter of a project that seeks to resolve the housing crisis in Donostia-San Sebastián, providing urban development opportunities in a highly demanded area. However, its transformation also fuels the debate about the preservation of historical heritage and political decisions around the city’s memory. As the future of the Loyola Barracks takes shape, the tension between modernization and respect for the past continues to generate controversy, reflecting a larger dilemma about development in Euskadi.
History of the Loyola Barracks – From the Civil War to the 21st Century
Origins and Role in the Civil War (1936-1939)
The barracks were built during the Bourbon Restoration as part of the Spanish coastal defense network. However, its most crucial moment came in July 1936, during the coup d’état that sparked the Civil War.
- July 18, 1936: After the failed uprising in Donostia, the rebels entrenched themselves in the Loyola Barracks. From there, snipers caused significant casualties to the Republican forces. The siege continued for days, with intense clashes between both sides.
- Siege and Republican response: To counter resistance, Republican forces employed coordinated attack strategies, including bombing from a small plane and the deployment of heavy artillery. The lack of reinforcements and the shortage of supplies inside the barracks made the position of the rebels become unsustainable.
- Surrender: In the absence of reinforcements, the insurgents capitulated under negotiated conditions, marking a milestone in Republican resistance in the north. The fall of the barracks reinforced Republican control over the city and weakened the Franco offensive in the region.
- Consequences: After the surrender, many of the prisoners were executed or imprisoned. Years later, historians have debated the strategic importance of this battle, considering it a turning point in the republican resistance in northern Spain.
This episode, little known outside historiographical circles, has generated legal disputes over its classification as historical heritage. Some sectors have advocated the preservation of buildings as a testimony of historical memory, while others maintain that their reconversion is a necessity for urban development.
From Military Installation to Obsolescence (1940-2000)
After the war, the barracks housed artillery and logistics units, but their strategic relevance declined over the years. During the 1950s, they served as an operations center for the Army, but starting in the 1970s, the transformation of Donostia into a tourist and cultural center called into question the convenience of maintaining military facilities in the heart of the city.
- 1978: With the arrival of democracy, citizen movements began to emerge that advocated the closure of the barracks and their transformation into a public space.
- 1985: The Donostia City Council began studies for the possible purchase of the land, but the negotiation with the Ministry of Defense was unsuccessful.
- 1995: The General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) classified the area as an “urban reserve”, which paved the way for its future transformation into a residential and amenities area.
- 2000: Socialist mayor Odón Elorza tried to buy the land from the Ministry of Defense, but Madrid blocked the operation, citing “strategic interests.” However, the barracks had already ceased to play an active role in national defense.
At the end of the 90s, growing citizen pressure and the need for housing spaces made the Loyola Barracks become a recurring topic on the municipal political agenda. Protests over the reconversion of the land intensified, and some neighborhood groups proposed the creation of a large public park in the area. However, the lack of agreement between the City Council and the Ministry of Defense prolonged the inactivity of the space until the 21st century.
The Long Negotiation (2021-2025): PNV, Sánchez and the Political Pulse
2021: The Lightning Deal
In a bold political turn, the PNV included the sale of the barracks in the amendments to the General State Budget, ensuring a commitment from the Government to give up the land. This political maneuver generated an intense debate between the different parties and within civil society, since some sectors considered that the transfer of the land could have been negotiated on more favorable terms for the city.
- Express negotiation: In just 7 hours, the PNV spokesperson, Aitor Esteban, and the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, closed an agreement that had been stalled for decades. Previous discussions between both parties had been marked by disagreements over the value of the land and the compensation that the Ministry of Defense would receive.
- Conditions of the agreement: In addition to the transaction price, the central government committed to providing the necessary administrative permits to accelerate the urban project once the official purchase was made.
- Price: 73.3 million euros, payable in four years. A part of the amount was allocated to the modernization of other military infrastructure in the country.
2022-2023: Vox and the Judicial Battle
Santiago Abascal’s party appealed to the Superior Court of Justice of the Basque Country (TSJPV) to protect the buildings as historical heritage. This legal action had the support of various organizations linked to the preservation of heritage, which argued that the transformation of the space would mean the loss of a historical testimony of the city.
- 2023 ruling: The TSJPV ruled in favor of the protection of the site, forcing the barracks to be included in the heritage catalogue. This paralyzed the project and forced the urban plans to be rethought, generating tensions between the City Council and the promoters of the new neighborhood.
- Political reactions: While EH Bildu and other left-wing forces criticized Vox’s intervention, conservative sectors applauded the judicial decision, arguing that protecting historical heritage was a priority.
- Appeals to the Supreme Court: City Council and Defense filed appeals against the ruling, alleging that the urbanization project included measures to preserve key elements of the complex and that the stoppage represented an unjustified brake on the development of the city.
- Parallel negotiations: Despite the litigation, conversations were held between the City Council, the Basque Government and the Ministry of Defense to seek a compromise solution that would allow progress with the transformation of the space without dismissing the historical importance of the place.
The judicial and political conflict around the Loyola Barracks reflected the latent tensions between urban development and heritage preservation, becoming an emblematic case within the debate on historical memory in Euskadi.
This will be the New Neighborhood of Loyola – Innovation and Controversy
Design: Breaking Schemes
The project, designed by a team of local architects, prioritizes landscape integration and sustainable mobility, seeking a harmonious combination between the natural environment and modern urbanization:
- Asymmetric urbanism: Cross plot with four pedestrian residential areas, maximizing the interaction between community spaces and green areas.
- Connections: Two pedestrian bridges over the Urumea and an elevator to Intxaurrondo, facilitating access and promoting sustainable mobility in the area.
- Elevation of the land: 3 meters above the current level to prevent flooding, a key measure to guarantee the safety of the future community in the face of climate change.
- Recreational spaces and green areas: Playgrounds, pedestrian routes and cycle paths are planned to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
- Efficient building: Design of homes with sustainable materials and renewable energy systems to reduce environmental impact and improve energy efficiency.
Housing: The 40% vs. Debate 100%
- Elkarrekin Donostia: Demands that all 1,750 homes be public, arguing that access to housing should be a guaranteed right and not an opportunity for real estate speculation.
- PNV: Defends that 40% protected housing is already a historic achievement, and that the participation of the private sector is essential for the economic viability of the project.
- Alternative proposals: Some associations have suggested housing and social rental cooperative models as an intermediate solution between total privatization and 100% public housing.
- Impact on the real estate market: This new development is expected to help stabilize the rental market in Donostia, stopping the price escalation that has affected local residents in recent years.
Economic and Social Impact – Opportunities vs. Risks
Housing Crisis in Euskadi
Donostia needs 6,000 homes in a decade; Loyola would contribute 25-30%.
- Rental price increase: +22% from 2023, affecting both local families and young people seeking to become independent.
- Gentrification: Possible entry of foreign investors that could make the real estate market even more expensive and displace longtime residents.
- Shortage of affordable housing: Waiting lists for subsidized housing have grown by 40% in recent years, increasing pressure on local administrations.
- Increase in demand for mortgages: Market conditions force new buyers to take on long-term loans with increasingly high interest rates.
- Impact on local commerce: With the increase in housing prices and rents, small businesses could be affected, giving way to the proliferation of international franchises in the area.
- Neighborhood movements: Citizen platforms have emerged that seek to guarantee that a greater percentage of homes are officially protected and do not end up in the hands of speculators.
Sustainability: A Model for Europe
- 25,000 m² of green areas and 1,200 native trees. The planting of local species will contribute to biodiversity and the improvement of air quality in the city.
- Car-free streets and EU-leading energy efficiency standards. The design of the new neighborhood is committed to a sustainable mobility model, encouraging the use of public transport, bike lanes and pedestrian areas.
- Buildings with Passivhaus certification. Sustainable materials and advanced thermal insulation systems will be used to reduce energy consumption.
- Rainwater recycling. Water reuse systems will be implemented for garden irrigation and other community needs.
- Reduction of the carbon footprint. The use of renewable energies such as solar and geothermal will be encouraged in the buildings of the new development.
- Self-sufficient community spaces. Residents will have areas of urban gardens and vertical gardens that will promote sustainable food and neighborhood coexistence.
The development of the new Loyola neighborhood is presented as a model of sustainable urbanism, but there are still challenges to be resolved, especially in accessibility to housing and managing the impact that the transformation of the neighborhood will have on current residents.
Loyola in the Collective Memory – Heritage vs. Progress
¿Conserve the Demoler?
The City Council plans to demolish 70% of the structures, generating a debate between memory and modernization.
- Historians: “The barracks are a symbol of military oppression, witnesses of a turbulent past and a key piece in the contemporary history of Donostia.” Some specialists propose preserving part of the infrastructure as a museum or interpretation center to educate about its role in the Civil War and the development of the 20th century.
- Vox: “Destroying them is erasing the history of Spain in the Basque Country.” For this sector, the demolition is a political decision rather than an urban one, arguing that the site should be preserved as part of the national legacy.
- Neighborhood associations: “We want a neighborhood with identity, not just apartment blocks.” Citizen groups have requested that, although homes are built, representative architectural elements be maintained, such as the main façade or interior patios, to integrate the past into the future design of the neighborhood.
- Urban planners: “Balance is possible.” Urban planning experts have suggested integrating historical remains with new development, maintaining some buildings as community centers, libraries or cultural spaces.
The controversy intensifies as the project progresses. While some see the demolition as an opportunity to modernize the area, others consider that an essential part of Donostia’s collective memory is being lost.
Conclusion: A Future that Looks to the Past
The Loyola Barracks They encapsulate the contradictions of Donostia: growth without forgetting its history, social urgency and the ghosts of the past.
While the Army prepares its withdrawal (until 2027), the question persists: Will this neighborhood be a model of equity or a monument to speculation? Will a balance be achieved between development and historical memory? Time and political decisions will determine whether this project becomes an example of responsible urbanism or another chapter in the city’s gentrification.
