The Bilbao Fine Arts Museum is set to unveil the heart of its Agravitas project: the new atrium. On June 24, an exceptional opening will take place from 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM, allowing the public to experience the new emblematic space designed by renowned architect Norman Foster. Following this, the Plaza Arriaga, as the atrium will be known, will close until construction is fully completed, with the museum's final reopening scheduled for October 5, coinciding with its 115th anniversary.
This day will be a significant celebration for Bilbao and a key event within the museum's expansion project. Admission will be free, offering all visitors the chance to explore the luminous Plaza Arriaga, which will connect the renovated 1970 building with the classical section, reinforcing the concept of a single museum comprising three distinct architectural styles.
Conceived as a third building and a meeting point, the new atrium is designed as a transparent and open space. Its glass surfaces will allow abundant natural light to enter, aligning with the tradition of major contemporary museums and aiding visitor orientation.
Among the notable features of the new space is the restoration of the muse Euterpe as a fountain. The sculpture, originally created by Francisco Durrio in 1933 and moved to the museum in 1945, will occupy a prime location in the new atrium, receiving natural light through an oculus that will visually link all levels of the new extension.
The Plaza Arriaga will also showcase a sculpture by contemporary Basque artist Eduardo Chillida. His work 'Lugar de encuentros IV', standing twelve meters tall, will form the museum's centerpiece. It will be joined by the sculpture 'Bilbao', an artwork of special significance to the museum and the city, created in situ in 1983 by Richard Serra and donated to the institution in 2018.
In the afternoon, museum officials have organized a string quartet concert at the Sociedad Filarmónica, featuring the premiere of 'Lau Agravitas'. This piece was composed for the occasion by four Basque composers: Gabriel Erkoreka, Zuriñe F. Gerenabarrena, Isabel Urrutia, and Javier Quislant. The program will also include works by the Bilbao-born composer Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga. The concert is a gift to the Museum's Friends, who can request free tickets online.
Following the atrium's presentation, the year's most significant event for the art gallery will be the official inauguration on October 5, once the renovation is fully complete. The renewal project, chosen from an international competition involving 57 firms, was the Agravitas proposal by architects Norman Foster and Luis María Uriarte. This expansion will add 6,743 square meters of new construction and remodel another 8,000 existing square meters. Additionally, the museum will feature the new BBKMuseoa space.
The completion of the works will usher the Bellas Artes into a new era, strengthening its position as one of the State's leading cultural institutions. The museum also anticipates breaking visitor records, aiming to surpass the current annual figure of 250,000 visits. The total investment, funded equally by the Basque Government, the Provincial Council, and the Bilbao City Council, amounts to 44.5 million euros.
