MODERN ARCHITECTURE: BILBAO

"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness." - Frank Gehry (architect of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao)

Sydney has the Opera House. Paris the Eiffel Tower. New York the Statue of Liberty. Iconic structures that instantly identify the major city in question. And since 1997, Bilbao—a lovely city but one that heretofore had never been considered major in the same class as Sydney, Paris, or New York—has had the Guggenheim Museum.

Guggenheim, from under the spider sculpture

A triumph of design by Canadian architect Frank Gehry, the Museo Guggenheim Bilbao dominates the city. A contest was held among architects for a design that could weave between existing structures and a sloped hillside to create a museum for masterpieces that could become a masterpiece itself. Gehry won that contest, and the result was a structure that put both Bilbao and Gehry on the international map.

Another Guggenheim view, with
the bridge that had to be woven into
the design

But why Bilbao? The Guggenheim in New York wanted a European outpost, and sought bids from all the obvious places. But those cities did not want to participate. Bilbao, on the other hand, not only offered a spot, but offered to finance the construction, so the Guggenheim accepted. This turned out to be a great investment for Bilbao, as the museum became the centerpiece of a city-wide revival, returning light and liveliness to what had once been a dingy industrial city filled with old homes in the classic Basque style. Blending old and new, the city now is a jewel of northern Spain.

Flower-covered Puppy, a local favorite outside
the upper level of the Guggenheim

Spider sculpture, another local favorite,
outside the lower level of the Guggenheim

Bilbao from above

Or is it Spain? Bilbao certainly is a legal part of Spain. But it also is in the heart of Basque country, a region that stretches through northern Spain and part of France. There is a strong movement among the Basque to form their own separate country—a movement sometimes revealed in violence but mostly in quieter protest and expressed most recently by a 125-mile human chain.  At the moment, Spain has agreed to greater autonomy for the region, but the separatist movement continues.

Separatist sentiment

 Our visit to Bilbao coincided with the end of a nine-day fiesta. It was a Sunday afternoon, so much of the city was out in the center of the old town, where various organizations and entities had set up bars, bandstands, and other activities to close out the celebration of the end of summer. 

One of 40 bars at the fiesta

Giant dolls could be seen around the area, most notably “Party Mary,” who presided over the whole affair. In the evening, Mary was going to be placed on a raft, sent onto the river, and set afire while the populace gathered on the riverbank to sing songs and say goodbye to her for another year. Unfortunately, we sailed before sunset, so missed this occasion. But it certainly is something to look for if one is planning a trip to Bilbao in late August in coming years. 

Party Mary