Cities and their architecture: the Domus guide collection
From Venice to Bilbao, from Chicago to Lisbon, we have compiled essential guides to discover cities, their culture and unique identity, through architecture. Check them out here.
There are many ways to visit a city. There is the tourist who has to sweep all the museums in the city, spending most of his stay in their halls; there are those who go for shopping: fashion but not only, also modern antiques, vinyls or perhaps collectible books and prints. There are those who have the illusion of living the life of the place for a few days, living as a local; or those who go just to eat at a particular restaurant.Finally, there are those who show up totally unprepared, those who travel to travel, and return home with valuable discoveries or a little consoling “I guess I missed the best.”
We at Domus have created concise itineraries of what we know best: the design of cities and their architecture. That can be private or public buildings, parks or squares, bridges and stations. And why not, museums, the architects’ masterpieces. Are not cities, after all, made up of just that at the heart of their identity?
Dubai
The Museum of the Future
At the end of February 2022, Dubai’s newest architectural marvel, The Museum of the Future, opened to the public. With its rounded shape, reminiscent of a large, oval-shaped donut and covered in calligraphic poetry by Sheikh Maktoum, the late vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, the museum is dedicated to envisaging the world in 2071. It was designed by Dubai-based studio Killa Design and named last year as one of National Geographic’s most beautiful buildings. It was founded by Dubai’s Future Foundation, a private and public sector initiative directed by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, a prominent Emirati politician and is dedicated to promoting technological development and innovation, particularly in the realm of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI).
Courtesy Museum of the Future
The Museum of the Future
Courtesy Museum of the Future
The Opus by Ominyat designed by Dame Zaha Hadid in Dubai
Another curiously formed architectural marvel is the late Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid’s The Opus. Spanning 84,300 square meters, The Opus, which was conceived by Hadid in 2007 and finished posthumously, is the late Pritzker Prize winner's only project in Dubai to be designed by her both inside and out. It was designed as two separate towers that coalesce into a singular whole resulting in a cube shape that easily transfixes visitors. It holds inside a mixed-use 20 storeys where visitors can relish unique experiences in residences, such as the ME Dubai by Melia Hotel, and fine dining restaurants like The Maine Land Brasserie and ROKA, among others.
Courtesy Omniyat
The Opus by Ominyat designed by Dame Zaha Hadid in Dubai
Courtesy Omniyat
Al Fahidi District
In contrast to these glistening new structures is the Al Fahidi District where visitors can experience a slice of old Dubai where traditional architecture reigns in a souk-like formation, recalling bygone days before the city became the busy metropolis it is today. The restored historical neighborhood, which is still referred to by some as “Bastakiya Quarters” evoking its old name – offers a quiet and enchanting retreat away from Dubai’s bustling downtown area. It includes traditional buildings like 18th-century erected Al Fahidi Fort, now home to Dubai Museum's pearl-diving exhibitions, Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum House, a former royal residence that now displays old photos and documents. The Heritage and Diving Villages have replica mud huts with potters and jewelers at work and in the Textile Souk visitors can relish in viewing and shopping the colorful pashminas and handicrafts on offer.
Burj Khalifa Dubai
Perhaps the most famous and recognizable Dubai architectural monument, and one that represents Dubai around the world, is the Burj Khalifa. Inaugurated in 2010 and formerly known as the Burj Dubai before its name was changed to its current one in honor of the President of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, it also marked the new development of Downtown Dubai. Made in reinforced concrete, with a total height of 829.8 meters high – equivalent to half a mile – and a roof height of 828 meters, the Burj Khalifa has held the record of tallest structure in the world ever since its completion at the end of 2009. It’s the most obvious sight when landing, Burj Khalifa seems to lift its point, akin to that of a needle, into the clouds, symbolizing Dubai’s ambition, force and constant quest for innovation.
Courtesy Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
Burj Khalifa Dubai
Courtesy Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
The Gate Building – DIF
Nearby to the prominent Burj Khalifa is another building of epic significance and proportions: The Gate Building in Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC). Designed by Gensler, the building, with its triumphal arch, is modeled after the Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was completed in 2017. It sits on an axis with the adjacent Emirates Towers and the World Trade Centre and signifies Dubai’s quest, as stated by the Crown Prince Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, by “a bold vision to create a financial marketplace to fill the gap not covered by international financial centers of Europe, the Far East and North America.”
Courtesy Gensler
The Gate Building – DIF
Courtesy Gensler
Jumeirah Mosque
One of Dubai’s historical gems, the charming Jumeirah Mosque located in the old Dubai neighborhood of Jumeirah, represents another aspect of Dubai – one rooted in heritage, tradition and faith. One of the city’s older buildings, construction began in 1976 and is built in traditional Fatimid style – the same that can be found in Egypt, which dates to the 9th century. Designed by architect Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, it was built in pink sandstone with an elegant façade that can be immediately recognized from the outside alongside its ornate Islamic patterns. A gift by the late from the Late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum (Dubai’s former ruler) to Dubai’s current leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, most recently the mosque has been a pivotal place for activity under the “Open Doors. Open Minds.” programs of the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding (SMCCU).
Deira Clock Tower
When you visit Deira, one of the oldest parts of Dubai and once the city’s place for commerce now known for its Arab souks where you can buy gold, spices and perfumes, you will get a sense of what the city was like decades ago, during its infant period. One of the primary attractions visitors will see is the Dubai Clocktower, built in 1965 and designed by Otto Bullard and Ziki Homsi, it is located at the first land crossing between Deira and Bur Dubai, providing access to Al Maktoum Bridge.
The Dubai Fountain
One of the most enchanting and one might say, uplifting attractions in Dubai, is The Dubai Fountain where a water show is choreographed to specific songs and music. It is located on the 12-hectare manmade Burj Khalifa Lake, at the center of the Downtown Dubai development in Dubai and is an unmissable sight. Its design features five circles of various sizes and two arcs with powerful water nozzles that shoot up water to incredible heights – performing unforgettable spectacles of water to classical, contemporary and Arabic music, often bringing audiences to tears. An interesting note is that when the fountain is operational it uses 22,000 gallons of water in the air at any moment
D3 (Dubai Design District)
One of the trendiest districts to be erected in recent years is the Dubai Design District, also known simply as D3. Designed by Foster + Partners, the purpose-built community in Dubai dedicated to design, fashion and culture, comprising startups, entrepreneurs and offices of other established brands like Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana, was established in 2013 and is notable for its unique design, recognizable from a distance on the Sheikh Zayed Road, its façade, with its continuous strip of sail shading features revealing itself in a grid-like formation atop each row of windows and which is undeniably the district’s defining feature. The district is set out in a block of 10 buildings that are 5 to 12 storeys-high and Dubai’s mainstay and center of all the action when it comes to hosting global fashion and design festivals. There are also numerous boutiques selling work by local fashion and furniture designers as well as host of al fresco cafés and restaurants. One of its most popular is The Lighthouse, a homegrown Dubai concept serving Mediterranean-inspired dishes.
Courtesy Foster + Partners
Dubai Frame
If you are arriving in Dubai from the airport, it’s impossible not to catch a glimpse of the Dubai Frame with its glistening facade as you drive into the city. An architectural landmark in Zabeel Park that is in the literal likeness of a picture frame, except one at a height of 150.24 meters, it was designed by Fernando Donis, selected as the winner of the 2009 ThyssenKrupp Elevator International Award. It was created out of glass, steel, aluminum and reinforced concrete and has the designs of the logo Expo 2020 on its outer façade and opened in January 2018 amid controversy, with Donis filing a suit in the US court system stating he hadn’t received a contract or compensation for his design. Who owns copyright of the design is still yet to be determined.
Dubai Opera
Another significant architectural attraction in Downtown Dubai is the iconic dhow-shaped building of Dubai Opera, featuring an exquisite design paying homage to Dubai’s maritime history and designed by Atkins and lead architect Janus Rostock. Since it opened in 2016. The 2,000-seat, multi-format, performing arts center developed by Emaar Properties, a UAE-based multinational real estate development company, it hosted a variety of ballets, performances, concerts, theaters and exhibitions.
Etihad Museum
Historically called Union House, Etihad Museum, which is located in Dubai’s quaint Jumeirah neighborhood by the sea, is a museum that opened in January 2017 and is dedicated to the collection, preservation and display of heritage from the UAE in areas pertaining the nation’s social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. Whether you are driving past or taking a long stroll in Jumeirah, undoubtedly during the cooler months, it will be hard not to become intrigued by the museum’s manuscript-like shape, which was an intentional feature of the design prepared by Moriyama & Teshima Architects alongside the seven columns built into the building to resemble the pens used to sign the original declaration of unification of the seven emirates in 1971.
Courtesy Moriyama & Teshima Architects
Etihad Museum
Courtesy Moriyama & Teshima Architects
Palm Island, Hotel Atlantis
They are known as one of the wonders of the world, Dubai’s artificially offshore islands called Palm Jumeirah has long fascinated visitors and residents to the emirate. From the plane, the archipelago of islands resembles a stylized palm tree set within a circle. Removed from bustling downtown Dubai, the “Palm” as it is known, is a popular place for tourists who wish to be close to the beach and stay in one of the area’s resort hotels, like The Atlantis The Palm, and residents wishing to dwell closer to the water on the beachfront. Developed by Nakheel, a real estate company now owned by the government of Dubai, the master plan for the area was devised by Helman Hurley Charvat Peacock, an American architectural firm and first opened to residents in 2007, at the height of Dubai’s “boom” before the global financial crisis of 2008. The Palm Jumeirah was supposed to be the first in a series of three similarly shaped offshore developments in Dubai, with the others being Palm Jebel Ali and Palm Deira – both of which are larger than Palm Jumeirah but remain unfinished due to economic uncertainty over the years. Also incomplete is The World, a grouping of artificial islands, intended to resemble a map of the world. The Palm Jumeirah today has become a gem amidst Dubai’s sprawling urban skyrises. It offers respite from a city in constant flux and a chance to connect with the encircling waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Jumeirah Beach Hotel
One of Dubai’s oldest buildings, the Jumeirah Beach Hotel, with its wave-shaped hotel design that complements the sail-formed Burj Al Arab nearby, is one of Dubai’s oldest buildings. The beachfront where the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel are located was formerly known as the Chicago Beach, and the hotel, was called the Chicago Beach Hotel when it first opened in 1997—the name of a former hotel on the same site. It became known as the Jumeirah Beach Hotel when it became operated by Dubai-based luxury hotelier, Jumeirah. At 93 meters high, at the time it was ranked the 9th tallest building in Dubai and today it comes in lower than the 100th tallest building—a lesson in the economic and social change that has inspired Dubai’s ever-changing skyline.
Dubai, the glistening city in the United Arab Emirates, known for its onslaught of scintillating new skyscrapers that seem to shoot up from the ground piercing the sky as they grow higher and higher – much like the spirit of the city itself on the verge of constant change and always on the quest to innovate, discover and advance – is often indicated as today’s quintessential shiny new metropolis, built in the middle of nowhere. Read more
Chicago
Photo by Tierney on Adobe Stock
Famous for its dynamic life, Windy City is a must-see destination for anyone who loves architecture, a living essay in history of modern cities from art deco to the present. Read more
Venice
Photo by Henrique Ferreira on Unsplash
Venice developed under the influence of profound cultural contamination, reflecting in the development of a unique architectural language: in Venice, the Istrian stone foundations of the buildings rest on totally artificial soils made of wooden poles and mud, and all growth is meant to be vertical. But Venice is also a nostalgic city. Read more
Helsinki
Majamaja, eco-cabins by Littow Architects
The Municipality of Helsinki has launched a competition for the redevelopment of Makasiiniranta, the last area of the old port to be converted for public use and where the new Museum of Design and Architecture will be built: over 83,000 square meters of land facing the sea, currently used as a terminal port and parking. Among the proposals there is also Majamaja, a wooden cabin, designed by Littow Architects, completely off-grid (23 sqm), prefabricated and transportable, furnished in a minimal and functional way to be completely self-sufficient and allow total immersion in the zero impact nature. The collection of rainwater and gray water filtered by a purification system ensures water autonomy, while the drains of the dry bathroom are composted and reused as fertilizer. Electricity is supplied by solar panels and a fuel cell, finally the heating is methane. It is the first of a series that will create a mini-village.
Location: Vuorilahdentie 1, Helsinki
Majamaja, the eco-cabins by Littow Architects
Location: Vuorilahdentie 1, Helsinki
Majamaja, the eco-cabins by Littow Architects
Location: Vuorilahdentie 1, Helsinki
Nolla, an (almost) zero waste restaurant
Concepts such as “zero km”, circular economy, community gardens, environmental protection have always been part of Finnish culture. It is therefore no surprise that Albert Franch Sunyer (Spanish), Carlos Henriques (Portuguese) and Luca Balac (born in the former Yugoslavia), the three founding chefs and owners of Nolla (“zero” in Finnish), have chosen Helsinki for their project. Opened in February 2018, Nolla is the first restaurant in Scandinavian countries and among the first in the world to have eliminated the amount of waste produced. How? Thanks to a biocomposer (positioned in plain sight in the dining room) that “grinds” 85 kg of kitchen leftovers per day. In a perfectly circular way, the compost produced from the waste is sold to the restaurant's suppliers, all within a radius of 200 km from Helsinki.
Location: Fredikinkatu 22, Helsinki
Nolla, an (almost) zero waste restaurant
In the restaurant (which is also a bar and microbrewery) plastic is not included even for the packaging of the ingredients and every object is recycled: the staff uniforms, the napkins in recycled PET and the glasses made from old glass bottles.
Location: Fredikinkatu 22, Helsinki
Nolla, an (almost) zero waste restaurant
Location: Fredikinkatu 22, Helsinki
Nomen Nescio, no-logo, no-gender, sustainable brand
In a country where women won the right to vote in 1906, and where the premier, Sanna Marin, 34, is the youngest in the world at the head of a coalition of five parties all led by women, gender equality is an almost established fact. Nomen Nescio (from the Latin, “anonymous”), the most radical Finnish clothing brand of the moment in terms of sustainability goes in this direction: no logo, with a minimal aesthetic, with unisex collections re-proposed with a few variations season after season and in a single color, black.
Location: Mikonkatu 1, Helsinki
Nomen Nescio, no-logo, no-gender, sustainable brand
Founded in 2012 by the Finnish fashion designer couple Niina Leskelä and Timo Leskelä, it boasts a local production (in Finland or neighboring Estonia) and materials, carefully selected in Europe, strictly organic.
Location: Mikonkatu 1, Helsinki
Scandic Grand Central
Following the recent inaugurations of the Amos Rex Museum designed by JKMM Architects and the Oodi Central Library by ALA Architects, with the opening of the new Scandic Grand Central hotel, in the former railway offices designed by Eliel Saarinen in 1909 next to the central station (also by Saarinen), the careful transformation of the center of the capital continues. The large Art Nouveau complex was extended by Futudesign and restored by Soini & Horto Architects. The interiors, on the other hand, are designed by the Puroplan studio, who explained how they aimed to “maintain the original spirit of the building by transforming it into a modern Scandinavian hotel, which does not look like a museum”.
Location: Vilhonkatu 13, Helsinki
Scandic Grand Central
Location: Vilhonkatu 13, Helsinki
Design Museum
Housed in a charming former school building from the late 19th century, the Helsinki Design Museum has a collection of over 100,000 images, 75,000 objects and 40,000 drawings. A permanent exhibition on the history of Finnish design from 1870 to the present day alongside temporary exhibitions. After the exhibition dedicated to Iittala's 140 years of history (“Iittala - Kaleidoscope: From Nature to Culture”, curated by Florencia Colombo and Ville Kokkonen), “Intimacy” (8.10.2021-13.3.2022) explores the Finnish fashion design of 2020s and the intimate relationship between the body and the clothes we wear, introducing the creative process, from initial sketches to finished products and analyzing the impact of digitization.
Location: Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki
Design Museum
Location: Korkeavuorenkatu 23, Helsinki
Enough: “design wherever life takes you"
Basta (“Enough” in Italian) is a new design brand born from the encounter (in Milan) of Marcel Wanders (design star and founder, among other things, of Moooi), Joel Roos and Stefan Mahlberg (who worked both for One Nordic and Hem). Wanders defines it as the “Tesla of industrial design”: sturdy, elegant pieces, easy to assemble anywhere, to move “wherever life takes you”, with very long life cycles and an eye to sustainability. A strong supporter of a more romantic and humanistic design thinking, the Dutch designer also explains that the next step will be to find reliable partners for local productions. The first products in the catalog are two different sofas, designed by Marcel Wanders and Stockholm Note Design Studio, a wooden coffee table by young Finnish Antrei Hartikainen and a table by Danish designer Søren Rose.
Location: Itälahdenkatu 18 C, Helsinki
Basta: “design wherever life takes you"
Location: Itälahdenkatu 18 C, Helsinki
Helsinki Biennial 2021: The Same Sea
Curated by Pirkko Siitari and Taru Tappola and produced by the Helsinki Museum of Art (HAM), the first edition of the Biennale took possession of Vallisaari with the works of 41 artists, local and international, installed outdoors in the unspoiled nature of island (where 1,000 species of butterflies, 6 of bats and 400 different plants live) and in the former military buildings. A strategic outpost for the control of the Gulf of Finland disputed between Finland, Russia and Estonia, Vallisaari (open to the public only since 2016) is accessible in 10 minutes by boat from the capital and is an essential stop. The title, “The Same Sea”, taken from a text by the Estonian poet Jaan Kaplinski, reminds us how human beings all live on the same planet where everything is interconnected. Among the best known artists, Pawel Althamer, Alicja Kwade (whose work will be permanent), Katharina Grosse (photo), Janet Cardiff and Maaria Wirkkala. The appointment with the next edition will be in 2023.
Location: Vallisaari island, Helsinki
Helsinki Biennial 2021: The Same Sea
Jaakko Niemelä, Quai 6, 2021. Opera commissionata da HAM/Helsinki Biennial 2021
Location: Vallisaari island, Helsinki
Helsinki Biennial 2021: The Same Sea
Alicja Kwade, Pars pro Toto, 2018. Commissioned by HAM/Helsinki Biennial 2021 and Kalasatama Environmental Art Project
Location: Vallisaari island, Helsinki
Cover Story, Finns’ sense of color
Anssi Jokinen and Tommi Saarnio have seized a market gap in the interior paint sector. In their opinion, there was a lack of a brand with a high-level decorative approach and that was as simple as possible for end users. Starting from the rich color palette that characterizes Finnish homes and public places (where, in the post-war period, the lack of building materials gave rise to a tradition of using color to create shapes, style and atmosphere), in 2020, they founded their brand, naming it Cover Story. More like an interior decoration studio and closer to a lifestyle approach than to a paint company, Cover Story also focuses on plastic-free materials. The debut was in 2021 with a catalog of 38 colors, all inspired by the Finnish interiors of the 1920s and 1950s, and a capsule collection designed by Finnish designer, based in Paris, Linda Bergroth.
Location: Bulevardi 17, Helsinki
Cover Story, Finns’ sense of color
Location: Bulervadi 17, Helsinki
Cover Story, Finns’ sense of color
Cover Story Paint Studio founders
Location: Bulevardi 17, Helsinki
EMMA Museum + Rut Bryk Tapio Wirkkala Visible Storage
The EMMA Museum (Espoo Museum of Modern Art) is always worth a visit for more than one reason. First, the architecture – the museum is housed in a former printing house, a brutalist concrete building from the late 1950s immersed in a forest – with its permanent art collection (the largest in the country). On the first floor, there is also the section dedicated to the works of Rut Bryk and Tapio Wirkkala. Museum within the museum, it is conceived as a look behind the scenes and as an immersion in the archive of the Finnish iconic couple of artists. In chronological order and on the shelves, some of the 2,000 items in the collection are displayed in rotation, while the rest is stored in wooden crates and on open shelves. Last reason, the temporary exhibitions. “Ceramics Facing the New” (until 7.8.2022), offers the works of 12 artists and two groups who have worked with kintsugi, the Japanese tradition of repairing broken ceramic with gold or another metal, embellishing it. In this case, kintsugi is also a metaphor for society: a fracture can be the signal of something new. How can the fragments be brought together to create a lasting structure?
Location: Emma Espoo Museum, Ahertajantie 5, Espoo
EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Location: Emma Espoo Museum, Ahertajantie 5, Espoo
EMMA, Espoo Museum of Modern Art
Location: Emma Espoo Museum, Ahertajantie 5, Espoo
Glasshouse: five floors of sustainable art and design
Inaugurated in 2020 in an art nouveau building on the historic Aleksanterinkatu street, where the presidential palace is also located, the Glasshouse was born on the initiative of Mirkku Kullberg, with the aim of encouraging people to think (and buy) in a sustainable way. Arranged over five floors, it houses a shop and art and design gallery. On the ground floor, since March 2021, the Lokal gallery has a space, founded by the photographer Katja Hagelstam, which combines art, craftsmanship and design, between unique pieces and small productions.
Glasshouse: five floors of sustainable art and design
Location: Aleksanterinkatu 13, Helsinki
Alvar Aalto, Home and Studio
Two timeless jewels and an unmissable stop, Alvar Aalto's family home and studio, built respectively in 1936 and 1955, are located in Munkkiniemi, a residential neighborhood surrounded by a wood. Maintained thanks to the activity and dedication of the Foundation under the same name (which has also managed the Alvar Aalto Museum in Jyväskylä, in Central Finland since 1966), they are a dive into the architecture and personal history of one of the icons of 20th century architecture.
Location: Riihitie 20 and Tiilimäki 20, Helsinki
Alvar Aalto, Home and Studio
Location: Riihitie 20 and Tiilimäki 20, Helsinki
Alvar Aalto, Home and Studio
Location: Riihitie 20 and Tiilimäki 20, Helsinki
Savoy Restaurant, the elegance of Aalto revised by Studioilse
The restaurant designed by Alvar and Aino Aalto more than 80 years ago has found its original spirit – a comfortable and human-sized, functional and elegant environment, where natural materials dominate – after the intervention of Ilse Crawford (Studioilse) and Artek of 2019. Starting from the original drawings of 1937, the London studio has restored original furniture and fixtures, bringing to light the different types of wood (oak, elm, pine and mahogany) originally planned. The only concession is the long bench at the edge of the room with the padded backrest lined with black and white striped fabric: it is a tribute to Aino Aalto who, in a renowned photo, wears this very fabric. For the terrace, Artek then created a special edition of the Chair 611 from 1929.
Location: Eteläesplanadi 1, Helsinki
Savoy Restaurant, the elegance of Aalto revised by Studioilse
Location: Eteläesplanadi 1, Helsinki
The Urban Environment House
The new headquarters of the Urban Environment Division of the city of Helsinki (responsible for design, construction, maintenance, construction management and environmental services) was inaugurated in 2020 but, due to the pandemic, has not yet entered full capacity. It brings together under the same roof, and on an area of 40,900 square meters, 500 professionals (and only 75 parking spaces, confirming the green vocation). The project is almost zero emissions and is signed by the Lahdelma Mahlamäki Architects studio, which defines it as “archaic modernism”: a mixture of references to the history of architecture and new construction technologies, where formally exposed brick, concrete, wood and copper are the dominant materials. KVA Architects collaborated on the interior design - which alternate informal and newly conceived workspaces. The spaces on the ground floor, thanks to the very generous volumes, are also open to citizens.
Location: Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki
The Urban Environment House
Location: Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki
The Urban Environment House
Location: Työpajankatu 8, Helsinki
Beyond Alvar Aalto’s icons, new design galleries and restaurants, cabins in the wild islands and the forest just a few minutes from the centre. The Finnish capital reveals its deeply ecological soul in 15 places. Read more
Copenaghen
Photo by Rasmus Hjortshoj
From the Danish Architecture Center to the 13 pavilions, from the Artificial Intelligence exhibition to... a run. Here’s our guide to Copenaghen, this year’s first true World Capital of Architecture. Read more
Bilbao
1. The airport
Santiago Calatrava has designed the gateway to the city: La Paloma (from July to October, EasyJet provides a direct flight from Milan). Simulating a bird, the airport has a roof that serves as a façade, recognisable from above and from the surrounding hills. Calatrava has designed the Zubizuri (Basque for white bridge) too. Unmistakable for its shape and (slippery) glass bricks, it links the Ensanche area with Calle Campo de Volantín, one of the city’s favourite walks, which stretches along the banks of the Nervión estuary.
2. The subway
Norman Foster has designed the subway, which not only connects the city but the entire valley, using green energy only. The steel, glass and concrete entrances to the stations are called fosteritos by the inhabitants. The Sarriko station, covered by a glass roof, won the Brunel Prize for railway design in 1998. As the city imposes a 30-kilometre-per-hour limit in order to fight pollution, the Euskotren metro and buses are the perfect solution.
Photo Jean-Pierre Dalbéra
3. Bilbao’s twin towers
In collaboration with Iñaki Bilbao Aurrekoetxea, Arata Isozaki has designed the 23-storey twin towers and five office buildings of the Isozaki Atea. Brick, glass, steel and natural stone redesign the Uribitarte area, which was once the city’s customs warehouse. A monumental staircase leads up to Calatrava’s bridge.
4. The tallest skyscraper
César Pelli has designed the Iberdrola Tower, which has just celebrated its tenth anniversary. It is the tallest skyscraper in the Basque Country – 165 metres high – (visitors are admitted only when exhibitions are organised) and is the symbol of the redevelopment process of Abandoibarra, a former industrial district, which has long been closed to urban use.
Courtesy Zarateman
5. The library
Rafel Moneo has designed the University of Deusto’s library. Made of glass, the building has 10 floors, 5 of which are underground, with almost one million volumes (the largest library in the region). At night, the glass bricks covering the building reflect the greenery it is set in. Nearby is the Paraninfo de la Universidad del País Vasco designed in the shape of an L by Álvaro Siza.
6. Starck’s transparent swimming pool
The Alhóndiga, the Art Nouveau wine warehouse designed by Ricardo Bastida and listed by the Basque government in 1999, has changed its name, appearance and use thanks to Philippe Starck. Today it is called Azkuna Zentroa. It rests on 43 artistic columns, and is a centre for cultural (here is the programme of events https://www.azkunazentroa.eus/en/activities/) and sporting activities. On the roof there is a swimming pool with a transparent floor, which allows the swimmers to be seen from below (you can get in with a day pass: €7.05 for the pool, €10.60 for pool+gym).
Photo Tomas Fano
7. The arena
The new architecture has also changed the city’s skyline for sports. The Bilbao Arena, designed by Javier Pérez Uribarri and Nicolás Espinosa, partners in IDOM, rests on Miribilla hill, integrating into the landscape thanks to its green brick roof recalling the foliage of a tree. On the upper floor there is the Bilbao Basketball team area, while on the lower floor there are offices and a swimming pool and gym for the entire neighbourhood.
Courtesy Xabi1980
8. Athletic Stadium
César Azcárate’s San Mamés Stadium (Ensanche neighbourhood) is one of the revolutionary signs of the new Bilbao as well. Built to replace the previous structure, which failed to meet Uefa requirements, it has a double-life façade: the EFTE plastic panels are white in sunlight, but turn red thanks to the 42,000 LEDs that light up in the evening (in short, the official colours of Athletic Bilbao).
Photo Marco Almbauer
9. The museum of the so-called Bilbao effect
More than a museum, Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum is a sculpture. Its 33,000 titanium flakes that change colour according to the time of day have become the symbol of the city. Costing $100 million and built over four years – from October 1993 to October 1997 – the contemporary art centre occupies an area of 24,000 square metres, 11,000 metres of which are exhibition space. Outside, in addition to Jeff Koons’ Puppy, there are Koons’ Tulips and Louise Bourgeois’ Maman.
Photo Álvaro Ibáñez
Bilbao is a beautiful city and a good place to live. fDi Intelligence, a magazine providing an authoritative voice on investment, is the latest to say so: among medium-sized cities – with a population between 200,000 and 500,000 – the Basque capital attracts talent and promotes business. Bilbao appeals because it was redesigned by architects, because it pursues sustainability, because it offers a higher quality of life than Madrid and Barcelona. Read more
Lisbon
Photo by Liam McKay on Unsplash
As Europe’s westernmost capital, suspended between the continent and the Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon offers a rich and varied architectural palimpsest, from the dense historical fabric to redevelopment projects and new international landmarks. The most characteristic postcard of the city is undoubtedly that of its many alleys crossed by the typical yellow streetcar, but we propose here – through some projects published on domusweb – an unconventional route of the Portuguese capital, starting from the western coast of the Tiago river, to the heart of the capital. Read more
London
Photo by Alev Takil on Unsplash
According to the locals, London's skyline changes so quickly that, from decade to decade, is completely unrecognizable. In fact, walking around the city, it is impossible not to be struck by the succession of buildings rising skywards, façades being renewed and streets opening onto new squares. Through a number of articles published on domusweb, we have sketched out a route for an unconventional look at London which, winding its way through some of the most interesting architectural examples, highlights its ever-changing face. Read more
Opening image: Bilbao, photo by Saiko3p on AdobeStock