Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall
Encyclopedia
The Euskalduna Conference Centre and Concert Hall (Euskalduna Jauregia, in Basque
) is located in the city of Bilbao
, in the Basque Country
(Spain
), beside the Estuary of Bilbao
, built in part of the area that was formerly occupied by the Euskalduna shipyards.
It was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and work started in 1994. It was opened in February 1999 and contains a variety of spaces, functioning as a conference center, opera house and concert hall. In 2003 it was declared by the International Congress Palace Association as the world's best congress center.
It is located on the zone of Abandoibarra
, near the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
. The concert hall is connected to the rest of the city by EuskoTran
's Line A, Bilbao Metro
Lines 1 and 2 and Cercanías Bilbao
lines C1 and C2.
In 2003 it was rewarded by the International Congress Palace Association as the world's best congress center.
Basque language
Basque is the ancestral language of the Basque people, who inhabit the Basque Country, a region spanning an area in northeastern Spain and southwestern France. It is spoken by 25.7% of Basques in all territories...
) is located in the city of Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
, in the Basque Country
Basque Country (autonomous community)
The Basque Country is an autonomous community of northern Spain. It includes the Basque provinces of Álava, Biscay and Gipuzkoa, also called Historical Territories....
(Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
), beside the Estuary of Bilbao
Estuary of Bilbao
The Estuary of Bilbao lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, that drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. It is a large estuary long that extends from Bilbao to the Bilbao Abra bay, a widening that makes the final transition between...
, built in part of the area that was formerly occupied by the Euskalduna shipyards.
It was designed by architects Federico Soriano and Dolores Palacios and work started in 1994. It was opened in February 1999 and contains a variety of spaces, functioning as a conference center, opera house and concert hall. In 2003 it was declared by the International Congress Palace Association as the world's best congress center.
It is located on the zone of Abandoibarra
Abando
----Abando was the name of an old municipality of Biscay , that was eventually absorbed by Bilbao. Nowadays, the name refers to the central district and neighbourhood of this city, holding the provincial administration, the long-distance RENFE Bilbao-Abando train station, three subway stations ,...
, near the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art, designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, built by Ferrovial, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It is built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Atlantic Coast. The...
. The concert hall is connected to the rest of the city by EuskoTran
EuskoTran
EuskoTran is a light rail tram service which operates in the cities of Bilbao , Vitoria and, in the future, in the town of Leioa , all of them in the Basque Country, Spain. It is one of the three commercial brands of the public society owned by the Basque Government, Eusko Trenbideak -...
's Line A, Bilbao Metro
Metro Bilbao
Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión river and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao...
Lines 1 and 2 and Cercanías Bilbao
Cercanías Bilbao
Cercanías Bilbao is a commuter rail network in Bilbao, serving the city and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías, as part of Renfe, the national railway company...
lines C1 and C2.
Performance and other facilities
- Auditorium, with 2,164 seats, is used for operaOperaOpera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
productions by the ABAO (Asociación Bilbaína de Amigos de la Ópera / The Bilbao Association of Friends of Opera) and the Bilbao Symphony Orchestra. It has the largest stage of any theatre in Europe with 1,770 sq. metres. - Theatre with 614 seats
- Four Conference Rooms with two seating 230 and 270 and two seating 103 and 130
- Eight other meeting rooms
- A Press Room
- A restaurant
- An Exhibition Hall
- A commercial gallery.
In 2003 it was rewarded by the International Congress Palace Association as the world's best congress center.