Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Bilbao audio tour, Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga) is a stop worth about ~60 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type museum
- Suggested visit ~60 min
- Bilbao Bilbao guide
About Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga)
A spectacular leisure and culture centre designed by Philippe Starck inside a 1909 wine warehouse, featuring 43 unique columns, a rooftop pool with a transparent floor, and multiple cultural spaces.
Azkuna Zentroa, formerly known as the Alhóndiga Bilbao, is one of the most inventive adaptive-reuse projects in Spain. The building was originally constructed in 1909 as a wine storage warehouse, serving the commercial needs of a rapidly growing industrial city. After falling into disuse, it was transformed in 2010 by French designer Philippe Starck into a multifunctional leisure and cultural centre. Starck's signature intervention is the 43 columns in the ground-floor atrium: each one is completely different, drawing on eclectic references from Greek temples to Japanese pagodas, Aztec pyramids to Art Nouveau tendrils. The building houses a cinema complex, library, fitness centre, and exhibition spaces. The rooftop pool, with a transparent glass floor that allows swimmers to peer down into the main hall below, has become one of the most talked-about architectural details in Bilbao.
Did you know? Philippe Starck designed all 43 columns in the building's atrium to be completely different from each other, drawing inspiration from architectural styles across all of human history.
How much time do you need at Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga)?
Around ~60 min works well for Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga)?
Yes — Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga) made the cut as one of 22 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Bilbao. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Bilbao
Hear the story of Azkuna Zentroa (Alhóndiga)
Preview the Bilbao tour free in the Gingerguide app.