Shell House - Casa de las Conchas

This shell-covered facade of this building was steadily created over the course of 20 years, starting in 1985, by artist José Ramón Gallego Rebollar. It is his family home, one he shares with his mother. According to him, it is “the most photographed house in all of Asturias.”

He started out decorating plant pots with the shells of snails. When he was done with that, he decided he wanted to decorate more things with shells, so he decided to cover the entire facade of his house with shells of all kinds. He has used the shells of numerous types of mollusks, including conches, scallops, and periwinkles, which he collected from the beach and from local fishermen. Every three years or so, the artist applies a new coat of varnish to the shells to maintain their lustrous look, and to protect them from the elements.