New York gives backing to Guggenheim Urdaibai project

The director of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation in New York, Richard Armstrong, on Wednesday defended the museum''s proposed Urdaibai project saying it would be "the first important museum of the 21st century". Armstrong was in Bilbao attending a conference held to consider the possibilities of extending the Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao to a further location in the Reserve Biosphere of Urdaibai.

Speaking at the conference, Armstrong expressed the willingness of the Guggenheim Foundation to "take on risks" with projects such as that of Urdaibai, which "would be another example of innovation," just as the Guggenheim Bilbao museum was in its day.

Nevertheless, he stressed the new site would represent a difference sort of museum experience, which would serve as a "complement" to the existing site in Bilbao and also that its "will not be an iconic building". "We believe this is the first important museum of the 21st century," he added.

The director of the Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, Juan Ignacio Vidarte, was in agreement, highlighting that they were not aiming to repeat the Bilbao model given that "creating a second Guggenheim in Urdaibai would not only be foolish, but also be a big mistake". According to Vidarte, the aim of the current project is to "replicate the success (of the first) not repeat the formula".

For this reason, he stressed that it made no sense to seek an architectural icon since they are aiming for an iconic intervention with nature.