
LOCATION Spain
ATTRACTION TYPE Museum/gallery
OPENING YEAR 2022*
BUDGET €18,500,000
SUMMARY
Foster + Partners and LM Uriarte Arkitektura have been selected as the architectural team to undertake the expansion of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum. Established in 1908, the museum moved to its current location in 1945. The modern, new wing was added in 1970 and the last substantial renovations and improvements took place in 2001. It is the second largest and most visited museum in the Basque Country, after the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum and one of the richest Spanish museums outside Madrid. The €18.5 million expansion aims to provide the museum with additional exhibition spaces, improved visitor circulation and expanded conservation and research facilities, as well. Foster + Partners’ proposals include a pavilion-like rooftop extension which will provide 2,000-square-metres of flexible gallery spaces above it. A further challenge to the architects is to better connect the facility to a nearby park and the Guggenheim tourist route through improvements to public realm infrastructure. Work is estimated to commence in spring 2021 with a tentative completion date of 2022. (Updated 26 July 2019)

CONTACTS
Museo Plaza
Bilbao 248009
Spain
José Ruiz-Ozaíta
Head of Conservation and Restoration
+34 944 396 060
Marta Garcia
Deputy Director of Communication
+34 944 396 060
Miguel Zugaza
Director
+34 944 396 060
info@museobilbao.com
+ 34 94 672 5447Ellakuri Kalea, 19
Laudio 01400
Spain
Luis María Uriarte
Architect/Project Leader
info@lmuriarte.com
Foster + Partners (Madrid)
+34 91 310 7820Paseo de la Castellana, 21
Madrid 28046
Spain
Pablo Urango Lillo
Co-Director/ Partner
madrid@fosterandpartners.com