Plans to expand Bilbao's Guggenheim Museum into the Basque countryside have been abandoned following sustained opposition from environmental groups and local residents.
Two new Guggenheim sites
The proposed project would have created two new Guggenheim sites, one in the town of Guernica and another inside the Urdaibai biosphere reserve, a Unesco-protected area and key habitat for wildlife and migrating birds. Supporters, including the Guggenheim Foundation and Basque regional authorities, said the expansion would boost tourism, attract investment and create jobs.
Threatening Urdaibai's fragile ecosystems
Opponents, however, warned that the plan threatened Urdaibai's fragile ecosystems and was being pushed forward without meaningful public consultation. The reserve covers more than 22,000 hectares of cliffs, estuaries and salt marshes and has been protected as a Unesco biosphere reserve since 1984.
Guggenheim Foundation in statement this week
In a statement this week, the Guggenheim Foundation confirmed the project had been dropped, citing "territorial, urban planning and environmental constraints and limitations." It said it would explore alternative ways to expand the museum while continuing to play a leading cultural and economic role in the Basque Country.
Helping revive the city's post-industrial economy
The original Bilbao Guggenheim, which opened in 1997, is widely credited with helping revive the city's post-industrial economy. Campaigners argued, however, that its urban location could not be compared to the environmental sensitivity of Urdaibai.