Leaving behind the small garden of San Roque, on grounds that used to belong to the hospital and chapel of the same name, we arrive at the Dominican convent’s old estate and cemetery, which have been turned into a city park by the Galician architect Isabel Aguirre and Portuguese Álvaro Siza.

The park is accessed via the strategic passageway formed by the contrasting architectures of two museums: the Galician Contemporary Art Centre (CGAC), a modern building also designed by Siza, and the Museo do Pobo Galego (Museum of the Galician People), housed in the former medieval convent.
Situated on a west-facing hillside, the park offers surprising views of the city’s rooftops, to which Chillida dedicated a sculpture that intentionally frames a vision of the city.

This project is an example of perfect adaptation to the topography and existing elements, combining the undulating forms of the hillside and the linearity of the geometric designs defining its paths and terraces. It retains the tripartite structure of the convent estate: vegetable garden, oak grove and cemetery. Water murmurs throughout the walk: with fountains, channels and small cisterns.
The result is an elegant area of great quality, a park of subtle contemporary design that plays with the different perspectives, being greatly enjoyed by locals and visitors alike, as well as an exceptional setting for artistic events.
The historical trees have been completed with new species, thanks to which the park is of special botanical interest, especially its ‘carballeira’ (oak grove).