Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG, presented his vision for the creation and conceptualization of the building and acted as master of ceremonies for an exceptional group, including chefs such as Joan Roca, Peruvians Gastón Acurio and Pía León, Brazilian Manu Buffara, French Michel Bras, and Japanese Yoshihiro Narisawa. The event included a guided tour of the main spaces, exploring laboratories, prototype kitchens, coworking areas, and the building’s restaurant.
The building by BIG Bjarke Ingels Group, in collaboration with BAT Architecture, features an entrance that leads directly to the Gastro Hall, the backbone and heart of the GOe. This central space extends from the ground floor to the rooftop. Like a promenade, the grand staircase connects all programs and levels within the building and functions as an amphitheater for events and conferences, allowing visitors and users to observe the kitchen structures and ongoing research directly. Ascending the stairs, visitors can continue to the auditorium, public terraces, or experience the haute cuisine developed in the top-floor restaurant.
GOe, Gastronomy Open Ecosystem by BIG and BAT. Photograph courtesy of Basque Culinary Center.
“Conceived as an architectural extension of the dramatic landscape and cityscape of San Sebastian, our proposed design liberates the ground and provides parks on the roof to invite the public life of the city to engage with the art and science of gastronomy. Located on the heralded Camino de Santiago de Compostela – we believe that this architectural fusion of gastronomy and technology, city and landscape, building and park has the potential to become a destination in its own right for culinary pilgrims from around the world.”
Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group.
The GOe hosts a wide-ranging program of spaces designed to accommodate changing programs, including eight research and teaching kitchens, ten laboratories, over 1,000 m² of coworking space, classrooms, an auditorium, restaurant, café, and public spaces for workshops and activities. By 2030, the institution expects to develop 80 annual projects with companies, seven new master’s programs, and 30 doctoral theses, in addition to collaborating with 170 partner organizations.
GOe, Gastronomy Open Ecosystem by BIG and BAT. Photograph courtesy of Basque Culinary Center.
The GOe – Gastronomy Open Ecosystem has been constructed with reinforced concrete cores and columns, and lightweight steel in roofs and cantilevers, allowing open floor plans for laboratories, kitchens, and coworking spaces. Its façades are characterized by a corten steel skin and large glass openings, equipped with solar protection and providing transparency toward the city. The green roof and exterior areas are designed to retain rainwater, improve insulation, and reduce the heat island effect, while also creating an urban ecological corridor.
GOe, Gastronomy Open Ecosystem by BIG and BAT. Photograph courtesy of Basque Culinary Center.
Construction, which began in November 2023, was completed in a record time of two years.
“Our role was to turn a powerful idea into a precise work. Ensuring that every architectural decision maintained the essence of BIG’s concept, while also guaranteeing its technical and construction feasibility.”
Peru Cañada, partner at BAT Architecture.
