The Weapons Store

We take Espíritu Santo street and we skirt the length of The Weapons Store.

The weapons store has a pure neoclassical style and is a characteristic example of the style of the military architects and engineers of the period.

It has been a weapons store and a military training base, and is currently the residential headquarters for logistics support for the new F-100 frigates.

The architects were Petit de la Croix, Marín and Llobet until 1760 and Sánchez Bort after 1765. The building has a rectangular floor layout with two lateral courtyards and ornamental staircases in its centre. It displays a clear French inspiration and outstanding features include the main façade and the imperial staircase which greatly impresses everyone who sees it on the shipbuilding guided tours. It is undoubtedly the most majestic of all the buildings in the arsenal and where the grandiose Plaza de Armas is located. The aim was not only to store ship supplies and weapons but also to perform a psychological role: to impress or even intimidate foreign ambassadors and visitors. The reasoning was clear: if these are store rooms, what must the palaces be like?

The elevated section displays two bodies of granite masonry and a Mansard-style roof which was modified in the twentieth century. Its large dimensions are highlighted by an interesting classical design, notably the three doors with their columns, balconies and gables, the central one being the most ornamental. Notable interior features include the imperial staircase, another service staircase in the central module and the two arcaded courtyards.

The grand square (11,800 m²) which also has a strict rectangular layout, is closed off on the land-facing side with two lengths of 30 identical storerooms, each one dominated by a long arcade and completed with a terrace.