Irun is progressing with the renovation of the Old Customs House, aiming to transform this emblematic historic building into the future Urban Innovation District. The Local Government Board has approved the contract for the renovation of Naves 7 and 8, following up on work started in March 2024 (debris removal and demolition) and the main building's renovation (February 2025).
The project, with a budget exceeding 1.4 million euros, will focus on rehabilitating the roofs, facades, and structural elements of Naves 7 and 8. Parts of adjacent elements in Naves 3 and 4 that interfere with the recovery work will also be partially demolished.
“"We continue to take steps in the recovery of this historic building. It was a great economic engine for the city, and soon it will be again, once we achieve its consolidation as the future Urban Innovation District of Vía Irun, a strategic project in the field of biosciences. It's not just about recovering what the Old Customs House was, but about working to make it what we want it to represent for Irun again: activity, job opportunities, and future."
Key interventions include roof rehabilitation with new waterproofing solutions, preserving existing metal structures; facade restoration and protective treatments; repair of structural elements; complementary demolitions; and improvements to basic facilities like the rainwater collection system and general lighting.
Temporary enclosures will be installed in window openings and access points to protect the interior from weather conditions, preventing deterioration. The project is designed to ensure current conservation and protection without compromising future interventions.
The adaptation of the Old Customs House is an ongoing process that began in May 2023 with the acquisition of the property from the General State Administration for over 1.6 million euros. The restoration has been made possible by a grant of nearly 5 million euros from the Basque Government's Department of Housing and Urban Agenda.
These works are a preliminary phase to the intended use: transforming the building into an inclusive and intelligent "iHUB", the center of the strategy to generate Vía Irun's Urban Innovation District ("iHUB"), focused on innovation, economic and social cohesion, and digital and ecological transformation.
Irun's Old Customs House is located at Aduana Street, 18, adjacent to the railway station's tracks. Inaugurated in 1882, it was in use until its closure in 1993, subsequently entering a period of abandonment and degradation.
Currently, within the Vía Irun project and the recovery of the railway environment, the rehabilitation of the old customs complex is a fundamental project for the new planning and development of an urban district on the land recovered from the various railway tracks.
