Chillida Leku will reopen next April after eight years

Since January 2011, the museum could only be visited by appointment, but currently in Chillida Leku, restoration work is being carried out that will allow a continuous flow of visitors to enjoy the center.

It has not been necessary a total renovation, but a respectful update is being made. The farmhouse - central construction of the museum - will retain exactly the same appearance and structure that Chillida conceived, but will have improved lighting and greater insulation in floors and ceilings, as well as with an adequate accessibility for people with reduced mobility. To these improvements is added the start-up of a welcome center, a cafeteria, a store and the adequacy of the parking, which will improve the experience of visitors.

Chillida Leku is located on the outskirts of Hernani, very close to San Sebastián and is made up of an open-air sculptural site and an exhibition space inside the Zabalaga farmhouse; a traditional Basque construction built in the sixteenth century. The house and its adjacent lands were acquired in the eighties by Eduardo Chillida and his wife Pilar Belzunce, who personally restored and conditioned them for more than 15 years. This rehabilitation project was carried out in close collaboration with the Basque architect Joaquín Montero, who helped them develop this highly personal vision of the exhibition space. The sculptor looked for a home for his works - a "place" (in Basque, leku) - where future generations could meet and experience their art in a unique location.

The choice by Chillida of this location for the museum reflects the connection he maintained throughout his life with the local community, landscape and architecture of the Basque Country. The historical building is surrounded by 11 hectares (110,000 square meters) of land along which can be admired about 40 original sculptures of the artist among which stand out Looking for the light I (1997) or Lotura XXXII (1998) made with steel Corten, a material with strong resonances of the industrial past of the region.

The updating works are being developed under the supervision of the Argentine architect Luis Laplace, working in close collaboration with the architect Jon Essery Chillida, grandson of the sculptor.

The project also has the contribution of Dutch nature architect Piet Oudolf, pioneer of the movement "New Perennial" that will introduce subtle landscaping elements. His designs of gardens and landscapes - among which the Lurie Garden of Chicago or the High Line of New York stand out - are based on ecological premises.

To lead this new stage, Chillida Leku will have the direction of Mireia Massagué, who assumes this responsibility after being the director of the Gaudí Exhibition Center and having previously worked at the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya. His work at the head of the Gipuzkoa museum will be carried out in close collaboration with the Chillida family, which holds the ownership and management of Chillida Leku.

The renovation works have had the support of the different public administrations of the Basque Country.