Azkuna Zentroa

About the museum

In 1905 Bilbao City Council commissioned the municipal architect Ricardo Bastida to design a large warehouse for wine, oil and pickles, the Alhóndiga, in the Ensanche district. It was a modern industrial building in the modernist style, one of the first to combine concrete with stone and brick, and for six decades it was one of the most active commercial sites in the city. The Alhóndiga closed in the 1970s because its activity had declined.

It reopened in 2010 as a leisure and culture centre within the process of transforming Bilbao from an industrial city into a service city. The façades were preserved and restored and were declared Bien de Interés Cultural in 1999, while the interior was designed by the French designer Philippe Starck as a small city within the city, with its buildings, streets and public square.

Today Azkuna Zentroa presents itself as a centre for contemporary society and culture. Its programme revolves around contemporary art, live arts, cinema and audiovisual media, society, digital cultures and literature, and brings together an exhibition hall, cinemas, an auditorium, the Mediateka BBK and a physical activity centre with a swimming pool. In the atrium, 43 columns in styles from different periods form a theatrical route.

Highlights

• Atrium of Cultures with 43 columns in different styles
• Modernist façades of the former Alhóndiga, Bien de Interés Cultural
• Interior designed by Philippe Starck
• Exhibition hall with free admission
• Mediateka BBK, cinemas and rooftop swimming pool

Permanent exhibition

• Las 43 columnas del Atrio de las Culturas – Theatrical route past the 43 columns of the atrium, conceived by the set designer Lorenzo Baraldi with styles from different periods and cultures, with no fixed order of visit.

Founded

2010

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Access to the building, the atrium and the exhibition hall is free. Programme activities (cinema, live arts) and the services of the physical activity centre have their own rates, with a 25% discount for people over 65, students and young people up to 30, people with disabilities (from 33%), professionals and groups of 8 or more; with the Tarjeta Az, a 30% discount. Tickets are sold at Az Info and online.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Three of the four main entrances are accessible (at street level, with a ramp and with a lift). The lifts have raised and Braille buttons and voice announcements in Basque and Spanish; the routes to the lifts and entrances are marked with tactile paving. Accessible toilets in the various spaces, a nursing room in the atrium and wheelchairs for loan. A portable magnetic induction loop at Az Info and in the auditorium; the exhibitions offer audio guides that can be downloaded to a mobile phone. Nearby car parks have accessible spaces.

Kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Stroller-friendly
• Playground / play area

Nursing room in the atrium and a space to leave pushchairs at the Mediateka BBK. La Txikiteka, at the entrance to the Mediateka, is a space for children aged 0 to 12 with books, computers and board games. The programme includes visits and workshops for children and families.

Getting there & parking

The Iparraguirre street and Alameda Rekalde entrances allow access to the centre at night.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant
• Museum shop

Grupo Yandiola, with the Yandiola restaurant, the pintxos bar The Boar, the bistro Hola Bar and La Terraza on the top part of the building. dendAZ shop. Wi-Fi is mentioned only for the Mediateka BBK (the centre's public library).

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Spaces for hire for cultural, corporate and social events.

Plan your visit