The IED Kunsthal opens the doors of the Papelera Building as part of Open House Bilbao
Date
03 October 2026 - 04 October 2026
Time
10:00 AM - 15:00 PM
Fruition
In-person event
IED Kunsthal Bilbao is taking part in a new edition of Open House Bilbao, the festival that invites people to discover the city’s architecture and heritage. On 3 and 4 October, it will open its doors in Zorrotzaurre and share the story of an industrial building that is now home to a higher education centre for design.
Built in 1958 for Industrias Taibo and later used by Papelera del Nervión, the former industrial hall is one of the few industrial buildings preserved under the Zorrotzaurre Special Plan. It is also the island’s only vaulted building and one of the few examples of its kind in Bizkaia.
Inside the former hall, Jesús Arrecubieta, Head of Interior Design at IED Kunsthal Bilbao, and lecturer Ricardo Ruiz designed the spaces that make up the centre today. The timber structures housing the classrooms sit within the original building, creating open spaces for work and interaction.
The tours will be led by students on IED Kunsthal Bilbao’s Official Degree in Interior Design, giving visitors the chance to discover the building through the eyes of those who study design there.
Tours: Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October 2026, from 10 am to 3 pm. Tours last 30 minutes, with a maximum of 15 people per group. Find out more here.
Jesús Arrecubieta and Ricardo Ruiz explain how they designed the interior of the former industrial building to create the school we know today.
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