History of the Museum-.
Back to 1908, the date both the Townhall in Bilbao and the Regional Council of Biscay agreeded to set up the first Museum of Painting endowed with pieces of work that were a part of the patrimony accumulated by both Institutions.
In
order to carry out the proyect some changes took place: The former Hospital of
Achuri was converted into the new School of Art and Trade and some of the wards
of the former Hospital of Achuri were fitted out for the Museum of Fine Art. And
the hospital services were moved to the brand-new Saint Hospital of Basurto.
In 1914, the Trust, that was established to carry out the proyect, opened the new galleries, adapted to become the Museum of Fine Art.
Private donations were added to the former public collections. Some of them were quite important , for example from Jado and Plasencia families. To the activity to obtain funds and enlarge the quality of the contents in the Museum dedicated Manuel Losada, 49 years, up to his death, although his painting qualities are most well-known.
He
also took part in the achivement of the union of the Museum of Fine Art and the
so called Museum of Modern Art, founded in 1923, a decade of great changes in
Art, as well as Lorenzo Hurtado de Saracho, a versatile man, deputy and
belonging to a powerful family in Biscay related to the mining industry, banking,
... This museum, as states in the foundation Letter (aproved by Townhall and the
Regional Council,) was founded with the aim of providing a way out to the local
culture and the new artists "as an antenna, sensitive to all messages no
matter how far or strange they seem to be".
We will now be able to keep well informed about the artistic development in the world, and above all, the artists themselves who are beginning.."
This Museum was set up on the back of the building of the Regional Council, Library and the Archive. It remained there till its union with the Museum of Fine Art and the constructuion, during the tough years after the Civil War, of the Palace of the Museums in the Park.
An
architecture contest took place, of important repercussion in those years. The
winners were: Fernando Urrutia and Gonzalo Cárdenas. In the definitive proyect,
after some controversies, Segurola, a local architect, also took part. None of
them could conclude the works, being Eugenio Mª Aguinaga who did it, after many
stops. It was finally opened in 1945. Cárdenas: historic clasicism; Segurola:
audacity on the plant; Aginaga: Vien references on the facade; Aguinaga, may be
a fast sum up of the coming along of so many different architects in this former
building. Nevertheless, nowadays, it rises as a nice unity, brave for its
time...
During an economically expansive moment, in 1963, the prolific (and intelligent) Alvaro Líbano, proyected the "modern" widening of the Museum towards the back part, closing the former plant in L, with steel and glass panels forming a severe volume, a building that plays at the same time with elements of architecture and typology absolutly related to the former building. The works were carried out with Ricardo Beascoa, a local architect.
Now
we arrive at the "Guggenheim Time" and the unavoidable "politic
and social" relationship. The new era in Bilbao, and the new managment in
the Museum, lead to a renewed worry for the artistic capacity of the Museum, in
need of new areas and image, searched in a new Architecture Contest to enlarge
and rebuild the museum. The winner was: Luis Mª Uriarte, a young architect ,
awarded in former contest and with a praiseworthy and positivly daring,
profesional career. He directed the works up to itsr conclusion in 2001.
The
reform was not an easy task with a complex proyect and nevertheless, the
carrying out of the works turned, aparently, to have been simple. Finally, the
back side of the building, the one placed in the park, is given an important
role, to such an extent that the visitor may not get to know the historic facade.
This is, somehow, the aspect most difficult to understand.
To sum up, the Museum is turned round, leaving the former first floor of the building of Lïbano, as the new hall of the Museum. From this point, one get a clear vision, a wide spacial organization, horizontal and vertical communications. Both the "gap" on the facade on the corner of the café, and the screen- wall that connects one to the original building, returns a kind of visual quietness, relaxing, to the previous solution by Líbano.
To
sum up, and reporting some words by the present Director Miguel Zugaza, told in
the opening ceremony last september 5th 2001, ‘ The Museum of Bilbao, should
come along to the actual moment; with this reform, it has been achieved that a
new Museum dignifies the city of Bilbao. And that its permanent collection will
be promoted to the maximum with annual exhibitions of the most significatives
works, placing the Museum in a place where it can compete in fair conditions
with the cultural offers of the rest of the country and even internationally.’
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