Spain has its fair share of iconic buildings designed by some of the world’s most prestigious architects. Here’s a look at ten of the best.
The Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao
Photo: AFP
The scaly titanium building designed by Canadian-American architect Frak Gehry is credited with transforming the once-run down industrial northern port city of Bilbao in the Basque Country into a tourist destination.
City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia
The iconic City of Arts and Sciences was inaugerated in 2005 Photo: Jose Jordan / AFP
This cultural complex in Valencia features a science museum, IMAX cinema and an open-air aquarium, among many other attractions. It is the largest collection of Calatrava’s work in the world, and also among his most controversial. Its original budget was €300 million but ended up costing nearly three times as much, becoming a symbol of the overspend on public infrastructure projects that sent the nation into a spiral of debt.
Concert Hall, Tenerife.
Photo: Miguel Ángel García / Flickr
Situated between the Marine Park and the edge of the port,in the Canary Island capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the auditorium designed by Spanish architect Sanitago Calatrava is built entirely of concrete has a sweeping arch of a roof representing a gigantic crashing wave.
Terminal Four, Adolfo Suarez- Madrid Barajas Airport
Bridge Pavilion, Zaragoza
Photo: Zaragoza Expo 2008
The pavilion was designed for the 2008 Zaragoza Expo, by Zaha Hadid, the Iraqi-born British architect who in 2004 became the first woman to win the coveted Pritzker Architecture Prize. The pavilion serves as a pedestrian bridge across the river Ebro in the Aragon capital.
Hotel Marques de Riscal, Elciego, Rioja.
Photo: Wojtek Gurak/ Flickr
This stunning structure is also designed by Frank Gehry and combines sandstone cubes topped with sweeping metal ribbons of gold and pink titanium rising out of the vineyards. It is located at the winery of Vinos Herederos del Marques de Riscal, one of the oldest wineries in Spain’s Rioja region.
Metropol Parasol, Seville
Photo: Hernán Piñera/ Flickr
German architect J. Mayer H’s playful Metropol Parasol regenerated the Plaza de la Encarnacion, a run-down square in the centre of Seville. Opened in 2011, it’s waffle like canopy stretches over 5,000 square metres and is the largest wooden structure in the world.
Torre Agbar, Barcelona
Photo: Michael Seeley/Flickr
The 38-story skyscraper designed by French architect Jean Nouvel to house the headquarters of Barcelona’s water company was inaugurated in 2005 and has become one of Barcelona’s most notable landmarks. It’s multi-coloured facade of reflective aluminum panels, behind glass louvers, means it transforms depending on the light.
Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre, Avilés
Photo: Dena Flows/ Flickr
Completed in 2011, the complex in Avilés, in Spain’s northern Asturias region is comprised of five structures designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer, including an auditorium, exhibition dome and viewing tower perched atop a corkscrew staircase.
Prado extension, Madrid
A sketch of the winning design for the Prado extension. Photo: Museo del Prado
Well, we are jumping the gun on this one as it is even not constructed yet but, but British architect Norman Foster has been selected to renovate a 17th century building to house an extension of Madrid’s Prado museum.
In a joint project with Spain’s Carlos Rubio, Foster will refurbish the Hall of Realms, not far from the main museum in the center of the Spanish capital. The project is estimated to cost around €40m. Construction work on the extension started in 2018 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
The Local/Spain
SACRATOMATOVILLE POST 