The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum remodeling and expansion project was attributed to Foster + Partners following an international competition in 2019. Now the construction phase was initiated with a breaking ground ceremony on November 17th. The project includes the restoration of the existing 20th-century building and the expansion of the currently available spaces with a new public atrium and a contemporary art gallery organized in a floating pavilion. The design also highlights the relationship between the city and the museum by creating a new pedestrian path that runs from north to south. The path connects the original 1945 building, the 1970s extension, and a new visitor center while making the site more permeable at the street level.
The proposal aims to make the 1945 building the main protagonist of the ensemble by restoring its original entrance and its internal sequence of spaces. This allows visitors to easily orient themselves while navigating the space. The intervention also highlights the central position of the Plaza Arriga, which received a roof light piercing through the new galleries above. The new extension lays over the existing museum, offering an additional 2,300 square meters of gallery space.
The top floor features a flexible column-free exhibition area, with all the service spaces contained within two technical walls. A panoramic window filters the natural light while offering expansive views over the adjacent park. The lower floor contains office spaces for educational programs and workshops and the necessary service areas. The new addition also offers a viewing terrace that can host sculpture exhibitions. The use of cross ventilation, natural light as well as high thermal mass, solar energy and rainwater collection reduce the environmental impact of the building.
The project also includes features to enhance the museum’s operations and the use of back-of-house spaces. The total area of the museum will increase by 50 percent, and 70 percent of the existing buildings will be upgraded. The courtyard becomes the main public gathering space, with the new galleries and viewing terraces hovering overhead.
We are delighted to celebrate the birth of a project which will link the cultural heritage of the past to the museum of the future. From the new gathering space in the Arriaga Atrium, the visitor will proceed to the spacious new galleries and then discover the outdoor terrace that celebrates the museum’s unique location. The result of our close collaboration with Luis María Uriarte and the museum team is now about to become a reality. - Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners
Earlier this year, plans to renovate Robert Venturi and Denise Scott Brown’s Sainsbury Wing in London were approved after the proposal went through several revisions after facing criticism. OMA also announced the expansion and renovation of the Buffalo AKG Museum. At the same time, SOM and Sellforf Architects were appointed to revitalize Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden n Washington DC, US.
