This spring the Regional Library of Bizkaia will be re-opening after the renovation and extension undergone in recent years. The Library, born in 1894, was set up in the actual building in 1929.

The process of renovation started in 2003 fulfilling one of the most ambitious initiatives of the Provincial Government of Bizkaia: to provide the historic territory with one of the most important and modern research libraries in the Basque Country, as well as carrying a singular and innovative construction. It is a project of renovation of the pre-existing buildings- the old Library and Conservatory- and the construction of new elements- the Tower of Administration and the great Book Container-. Moreover, on the back side of the Palacio Foral a three floor underground parking has been built.

It has to be said that the whole project has been centred on two basic premises: to minimize and avoid that the services of the Library would be closed to users and researchers, and not transferring its valuable volumes; this matters have made the renovation still more complicated.

The new Regional Library has a 170% more surface, as well as a capacity of 12.500 for books. In terms of surface, the original 3.700 have increased up to 10.000 , these will sum up 12.500 if we add the space for garages.

Overall, this new Library will have 6.700 additional (corresponding the increment of 170%) as a result of the occupation of the emptied Conservatory and the free building site of Arbieto.

Surface of the new Regional Library

Renovated surface
(current Library 3.700 m2 + Conservatory 3,700 m2) 6.700 m2

Extended surface
(container building) 3.300 m2

Surface set aside for garages 2.500 m2

TOTAL: Surface of the new Library

(Renovation+Extension) 10.000 m2

The budget of the works has reached a total of 15. 406. 417.24 euros.

A visit around the installations of the Regional Library

a) The Book Container

The Book Container is a space set aside exclusively for the employees of the Library since it contains the most valuable titles and has some very strong conservation, protection and security technical conditions.

It is housed in a large double skin containing box, the outer skin being a special glass specifically made for this works, which projects towards the city the texture of the book in an image that changes from day to night. One of the chapters which have revealed most difficult has been the one dealing with the transfer of 250.000 volumes into this space.

The characteristics for the construction of the Container allow an environment control of the hygrothermic, dust-proof and extreme security conditions.

b) The Tower of Administration

The new administration is housed in a volume of stone which forms the corner of Astarloa and Arbieto streets, in great harmony with the surroundings.

c) The old Library and Conservatory building

The old building (Library and Conservatory) has been reorganized internally so that the inner spaces enjoy the necessary spatial clarity and transparency to provide the new reading areas the sufficient versatility and flexibility they require.

Within this building audition rooms, reading rooms, cartography sections and engravings, Basque section, general section… are located, as well as the lower floor with a somehow different structure being as it is the public access.