Why are environmentalists going up against the Guggenheim?

The museum’s plans for two new sites – one in Guernica and another within the Urdaibai reserve – have drawn ire from activists who warn of environmental degradation. Plans to establish a new outpost in Guernica and the Urdaibai biosphere reserve in Spain have ignited controversy. While supporters argue that the development could rejuvenate Spain’s northern Basque region economically and culturally – particularly given that the Guggenheim’s Bilbao flagship is lauded as a key factor in the city’s economic and social transformation – critics have expressed concerns about potential harm to the protected natural area.

The proposed museum would be located across two sites: one in the town of (famous not least for the eponymous Picasso painting) and another within the Urdaibai reserve. Opponents, including Greenpeace and Ecologists in Action, contend that the project was launched without sufficient public consultation and warn that it could transform the area into a tourist hotspot, resulting in irreversible environmental damage. They fear that an influx of tourists will necessitate new infrastructure – such as roads and hotels – that could compromise the biosphere reserve's protected status.

Although the project’s proponents, including (unsurprisingly) the Guggenheim Foundation and the Basque government, view the museum as a way to generate jobs, stimulate local businesses, and enhance essential services like transportation and healthcare, not everyone is conv.