Guggenheim scraps Basque Country expansion plan after local protests
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The Guggenheim Foundation has cancelled plans for a Basque Country museum outpost after facing opposition from environmental groups and local residents.
The Guggenheim Foundation has abandoned its plan to build a new museum in the Basque Country following protests from local groups and environmental campaigners. The proposed site was located on a UNESCO biosphere reserve, a critical habitat for local wildlife and migrating birds.
The Guggenheim Foundation, along with the Basque government and local authorities, had supported the project, arguing that the two planned locations – one in Guernica and another in the Urdaibai reserve – would stimulate the local economy through investment and job creation.
That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. opponents argued that the project was being implemented without proper public consultation and would damage the Urdaibai reserve. The 22,068-hectare area was designated a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1984.
The Guggenheim Foundation stated earlier this week that the project was canceled due to “territorial, urban planning and environmental constraints and limitations.” The foundation added that it would explore “new alternatives” to expand and maintain its position as a leading cultural institution and an economic driver in the Basque Country.
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which opened in 1997 despite initial opposition, is credited with revitalizing the city and boosting tourism. That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. critics argued that the natural environment of Urdaibai, with its cliffs and salt marshes, was not comparable to the urban, post-industrial area where the Bilbao museum was built.
Environmental NGOs and campaign groups, including Greenpeace, WWF, Ecologists in Action, Friends of the Earth, and SEO/BirdLife, had actively campaigned against the project. News of the Guggenheim Foundation's decision has been met with enthusiasm from these groups.
The Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop platform released a statement saying that authorities had previously insisted they would build the museum “no matter what,” disregarding public opinion and debate. The platform celebrated the reversal, stating that leaders and institutions were ultimately “unable to ignore a reality revealed by science, the law and society.”
