les Drassanes del Grau, Valencia

Les Drassanes del Grau are historic shipbuilding buildings beside the port, created in the fourteenth century in Valencian Gothic. Their most striking feature is the long brick structure, divided into five parallel naves, each measuring about 10 by 48 metres. Pointed diaphragm arches cross the naves, while broad openings connect neighbouring spaces; many of those internal passages are now sealed.

The complex began as a municipal place for storing oars and other ship equipment, responding to the growing activity of the harbour. It later served commerce and the fitting out of vessels used against Barbary pirates. After the War of the Spanish Succession, the buildings became storage space, including for salt, before passing into private ownership in the nineteenth century. Look closely at the rear wall, where pointed brick arches remain especially clear and the original construction is easier to read.