AZKUNA ZENTROA (LA ALHÓNDIGA)

Built in 1909 by the Basque architect Ricardo Bastida, this industrial building with modernist accents was once used as a wine warehouse. Falling into disrepair in the 1970s, it was to be transformed into a cultural center by the famous sculptor Jorge Oteiza in the 1990s, and was even approached to house the Guggenheim's collections. None of these projects having been successful, its transformation finally began in the 2000s. After a long period of renovation, it now houses the Azkuna Zentroa Cultural Centre, previously known as La Alhóndiga, which was inaugurated in 2010. Its name pays tribute to Iñaki Azkuna, mayor of Bilbao from 1999 until his death in 2014. The French architect and designer Philippe Starck was commissioned to transform the old warehouse, for which he designed a set of 43 columns on which three brick cubes are suspended. These columns, designed in collaboration with the Italian scenographer Lorenzo Baraldi, evoke cultural diversity through their wide variety of materials (marble, bronze, ceramics, etc.) and styles (Art Deco, Renaissance, Oriental, etc.). If you look up from the central atrium, you can see the swimmers in the transparent pool. In total, the complex houses 43,000 m² for temporary exhibitions, sports facilities, a media library, an auditorium, etc. It also has several restaurants and a cinema.