Azkuna Zentroa, Alhóndiga & Bilbao's Cultural Renewal

The Azkuna Zentroa (formerly the 'Alhóndiga de Bilbao' — the old wine warehouse of the Ensanche, converted by the designer Philippe Starck (b.1949) into the most original cultural centre in the Basque Country, opened 2010) is the most radical example of the cultural renovation programme that transformed Bilbao in the late 20th century — the old warehouse reinvented as the multi-purpose cultural and leisure centre with the 43 unique columns (each column designed in a different style by Starck), the swimming pool with the transparent glass bottom suspended above the atrium, and the cinema, library, and event spaces.