The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao has officially abandoned plans to expand into Urdaibai, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve in Spain’s Basque Country, following years of protests and mounting environmental and legal concerns.
The proposed expansion at Murueta, located roughly 25 miles northeast of Bilbao, was first announced in 2022 and immediately sparked backlash from local residents, environmental groups, and members of the cultural sector. On Tuesday, the museum confirmed that its board of trustees had voted not to proceed with the project.
“In light of the territorial, urban planning, and environmental constraints and limitations, the Board of Trustees has decided not to move forward,” the museum said in a statement. The institution added that it is now developing an alternative strategy to support future growth while maintaining its position as a leading international cultural organization.
Opposition to the project centered on the ecological fragility of Urdaibai, a protected landscape where wetlands, wildlife habitats, and waterways already coexist uneasily alongside industrial activity. Activism intensified in recent months, with around 1,000 Basque artists and cultural workers signing a petition against the expansion.
Environmental organization Greenpeace welcomed the decision, calling it a “victory,” while stressing that unresolved issues remain. The group pointed to ongoing concerns over land concessions at the former Murueta shipyards, the proposed site of the museum’s exhibition space.
Campaign group Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop also claimed the decision as a triumph of civic pressure. “This project was stopped by the resistance and determination of citizens,” the group said during a press conference in Bilbao.
The abandoned expansion had been conceived as a two-part project intended to boost economic activity in the region. Plans included a 27,000-square-foot cultural facility in Guernica with an auditorium and artist residencies, connected by a landscaped route featuring outdoor artworks to a 40,000-square-foot, net-zero exhibition space in Murueta. Persistent legal disputes over the site, however, delayed the timeline by at least a decade. Museum officials stated that proceeding with only the Guernica component would undermine the project’s original vision.
While the Guggenheim noted that preliminary work had contributed to land remediation in Urdaibai—particularly the cleanup of soil contamination from a former factory—the strength of public opposition ultimately proved decisive.
The museum has not indicated where it may pursue future expansion. Meanwhile, Guggenheim Urdaibai Stop has announced plans for a public festival on February 7, 2026, marking the end of the controversial proposal.
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