In the heart of Seville, tucked between the Guadalquivir and the great monuments of Cathedral, Alcázar, and Archive of the Indies, lies one of the city’s most extraordinary survivors: the Reales Atarazanas.
These medieval shipyards, first constructed in 1252 under Alfonso X “the Wise,” once housed the royal galleys that projected Castilian power across the Mediterranean.
For centuries they defined Seville’s role as a maritime hub. At their peak, the Atarazanas stretched across 17 naves, vast vaulted halls aligned perpendicular to the river, where ships were built, repaired, and stored. Over time, as the river shifted course and Seville’s fortunes turned inland with the riches of the Indies, the shipyards were adapted for new lives: converted into customs houses, artillery workshops, even partly demolished in the 20th century to make way for government buildings.
By the 1960s, these once-mighty halls stood largely forgotten, their lower arches buried beneath raised ground levels, their purpose obscured by centuries of accretions. Yet the Atarazanas endured, declared a protected monument and guarded by generations of Sevillanos who knew their importance.
A restoration decades in the making
Now, after 31 months of work and an €18million investment, the Atarazanas have emerged renewed. The restoration, led by Grupo Avintia under the design vision of architect Guillermo Vázquez Consuegra, has reclaimed more than 7,000 square metres of space.
The project confronted formidable challenges: fragile Gothic-Mudéjar brickwork, logistical constraints in Seville’s historic core, and the delicate balance between safeguarding heritage and introducing modern functions. Each intervention was designed to be reversible, allowing future conservators to step back through time if needed. Brick was replaced brick-by-brick, wooden trusses carefully restored, and floors raised on hollow-core slabs above beds of traditional albero earth.
The result is neither a museum piece nor a theme park. Instead, the Atarazanas have become a cultural space – designed to host exhibitions, concerts, and gatherings.
Part of a wider Spanish story
Seville’s shipyards are not alone in this transformation. Across Spain, historic industrial and maritime complexes are finding new lives as cultural landmarks.
- In Valencia, the Tinglados and shipyards of the city’s port have been restored to host events, exhibitions, and social gatherings, reconnecting the waterfront with urban life.
- In Málaga, the Tabacalera tobacco factory now houses the Russian Museum Collection, displaying some of St. Petersburg’s treasures. The city’s own Atarazanas are home to the market where Malagueños buy their fresh produce.
- In Barcelona, the Royal Shipyards (Drassanes Reials), contemporary cousins of Seville’s Atarazanas, have long been home to the Maritime Museum.
These reuses show a consistent pattern: spaces once dedicated to commerce, industry, and empire becoming stages for culture, dialogue, and community.
A living monument in the heart of Seville
What makes the Atarazanas unique is their position in the monumental heart of Seville. Visitors stepping from the shadow of the Giralda or the cool gardens of the Alcázar will now find another layer of the city’s story; one tied to the river, to shipbuilding, to centuries of exchange and ambition.
For TOMA travellers, the Atarazanas embody the idea that heritage is not static but alive: a space where medieval brick vaults host modern voices. Whilst the reopening dates have yet to be announced, it is certain the old shipyards will prove a feature of future Seville tours.