THE BEGINNINGS:
AIRPORT AND SUPERPORT
Vicente Paredes
The urban reorganisation of Bilbao began at its two geographical extremes, Bilbao Airport and Bilbao Superport, the two great infrastructure projects which opened the doors to the conception toward a new metropolis. The city was opening up to the world to spur change inward.
Vicente Paredes
Bilbao Airport On 19th November 2000, during the inauguration of La Paloma, Bilbao International Airport, architect Santiago CALATRAVA announced that the new terminal was “a message of love to Baskland�. White and very expressive, Bilbao International Airport is a gigantic three storey block of steel and glass with a sharp silhouette expressing the idea of flight and the leap that the metropolitan area had begun to take.
In a few short years, the influx of passengers to Bilbao has multiplied, requiring an enlargement of the airport to increase capacity to eight million passengers. New aircraft parking bays and a new general services building, along a new passport control area and a new electrical power station are all to be built.
Vicente Paredes
With the addition of new two docks at the sides of the Terminal, the airport will gain 25,000 m2 of usable space, allowing for 5 new fingers, 4 remote controlled access doors,
12 check-in disks, 3 automatic check-in points and 2 more baggage conveyor belts. The shopping area, office space and security filters will also grow, while the airport waiting area will be enclosed. Furthermore, the project designed by architect Oscar CASELLES, includes a new car park with 3,500 parking spaces, effectively increasing parking capacity by well over 100%, and the installation of the modern International Landing System (ILS) which will reduce delays due to poor visibility.
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The port activity of Bilbao goes back seven centuries and coincides with the growth of the mediaeval town itself. In those days, the ships sailed up river as far as the Old Bilbao until the Iron Pier of Portugalete was built in 1887 and this did away with the problems of access to the Ibaizabal-Nervion River. The first stage of the extension was completed between Before
1992 and 1998 with expanding land area by 150 hectares and nearly 1 kilometre extra of berthing lines with draughts of 20 metres. Despite this extension in the 90s, port development work is currently underway and could continue until the year 2020, reclaiming land from the sea, thereby increasing available space inland.
Also in the area of Abra Bay, location of the Superport, there is a new and fully functioning terminal for cruise ships in the municipality of Getxo, and in Santurtzi, the Bilbao Port Authority has opened its new headquarters on land also reclaimed from the sea. The modern building, designed with a glass curtain wall façade, was the creation of the team of architects of Ramon LOSADA RODRIGUEZ, Jose Antonio PADILLA AIZPURU, Iñigo AZKARATE MUTILOA and Miguel Angel BLANCO RODRIGUEZ. In fact, it was this transfer of port activity from Abandoibarra to the Superport area in Santurtzi allowing for the design of a new urban plan for Bilbao thanks to the recovery of land in the centre of the city, in Abandoibarra, the heart and maximum expression of modern Bilbao.