Is the Bilbao effect real?

The thing about the Bilbao effect is that it is a myth. You could just as well call it the Sydney Opera House effect, the Pompidou effect, or dozens of other effects. Bilbao wasn’t the first city to be transformed by a self-consciously iconic building and it won’t be the last.

Who coined the Bilbao effect?

Jonathan Meades
This article explores the idea of the Bilbao Effect, a term coined by writer and broadcaster Jonathan Meades, and aims at showcasing both sides of the argument when it comes to the depths of its actual effect.

What is the Guggenheim effect?

The Guggenheim effect, also known as the Bilbao effect, has turned into the symbol of how art and culture can boost the struggling economy of a region. Now, 20 years after its opening, the city is celebrating the anniversary with events and exhibitions throughout the year.

Why did Guggenheim choose Bilbao?

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was built between October 1993 and October 1997 and the site chosen, on a former wharf with port and industrial use on a curve of the Nervión, represented recovery of the banks of the river for the city, redeveloping them for culture and leisure.

What is the Bilbao effect architecture?

It has given its name to the “Bilbao effect” – a phenomenon whereby cultural investment plus showy architecture is supposed to equal economic uplift for cities down on their luck. It is the father of “iconic” architecture, the prolific progenitor of countless odd-shaped buildings the world over.

Who designed the Bilbao museum?

Frank Gehry
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao/Architects

Designed by Canadian American architect Frank Gehry, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao building represents a magnificent example of the most groundbreaking 20th-century architecture.

What were the socio economic impacts due to Guggenheim Museum Bilbao?

The activities of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao in 2016 have helped to generate 424.6 million euros in GDP, maintain 9,086 jobs, and provide the Basque treasuries with an additional 65.8 million euros in tax revenue, taking into account direct, indirect, and induced effects.

What does Bilbao mean?

(bɪlˈbɑːəʊ , Spanish bilˈβau) noun. a port in N Spain, on the Bay of Biscay: the largest city in the Basque Country: famous since medieval times for the production of iron and steel goods: modern buildings include the Guggenheim Art Museum (1997).

What is Frank Gehry’s style?

Characteristics of Frank Gehry Architecture His style is considered deconstructivist, a movement in postmodern architecture where elements of the design appear to be fragmented; they are often described as chaotic or disjointed. Gehry will primarily use corrugated metals which give his look an unfinished appearance.

Who is a star architect?

Starchitect is a portmanteau used to describe architects whose celebrity and critical acclaim have transformed them into idols of the architecture world and may even have given them some degree of fame among the general public.

What is inside the Guggenheim Museum?

Once inside the Hall, visitors access the Atrium, the real heart of the Museum and one of the signature traits of Frank Gehry’s architectural design. The three levels of the building are organized around the Atrium and are connected by means of curved walkways, titanium and glass elevators, and staircases.

What is the Bilbao Effect and why is it important?

Much is made of the so-called ‘ Bilbao effect ’, the idea that attracting a world-class cultural institution – in Bilbao’s case, a branch of New York’s Guggenheim art museum – will put your city on the map, and in turn attract more investment, brands, tourism and cultural energy.

How did the Bilbao starchitecture affect the local economy?

What’s more, Bilbao now had a landmark. Visitor spending in the city jumped, recouping the building cost within three years. Five years after construction, Bilbao estimated that its economic impact on the local economy was worth €168m, and poured an additional €27m into Basque government tax coffers – the equivalent of adding 4,415 jobs.

Why did the city of Bilbao have a Renaissance?

Department of Sociology at the University of the Basque Country. After decades of devastating deindustrialisation that made Bilbao a prime example of an industrial city in decline, the city has enjoyed a spectacular urban ‘renaissance’ based on initiatives undertaken in the 1990s, to restructure and reimagine the city.

Is the Bilbao model a success or a failure?

As for social issues, recent figures on the rise of inequality and poverty in the city make it impossible to consider the Bilbao model a success. For example, severe poverty has increased in Bilbao since 2000 by 33 per cent and today affects 11.5 per cent of Bilbao households, a figure that is twice the average for the Basque Country as a whole.