Arriaga Theatre

The Teatro Arriaga stands on Plaza Arriaga on the Nervion quayside at the edge of Casco Viejo in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain. It was built in 1890 to designs by the architect Joaquin Rucoba and was named for Juan Crisostomo de Arriaga, the Bilbao-born composer who died in 1826 at age nineteen and is sometimes called the Spanish Mozart. The theatre opened in a period of rapid industrial wealth in Bilbao, when the local bourgeoisie sought a grand cultural venue. Its neo-Baroque style, influenced by the Paris Opera, uses an ornate stone facade with sculpture, columns and a prominent dome facing the river. Historical significance includes its role as the main opera and theatre house of the Basque capital and its survival through a major fire in 1914, after which it was rebuilt, with the work carried out in the following years. The theatre later fell into decline and was restored in a campaign completed in the 1980s, which reopened it as a modern performing arts centre. Inside, the horseshoe auditorium, gilded decoration and painted ceiling recall the original design, and a foyer and grand staircase provide ceremonial spaces. The programme includes opera, theatre, dance and concerts, and it hosts performances in Spanish and Basque. Visits are normally made by attending a performance or joining a guided visit, and interpretation is architectural and performance-based rather than curatorial. Exterior views are always available, with the riverside plaza making a good photographic point. The theatre is close to Plaza Nueva, the Mercado de la Ribera and the Cathedral of Santiago, so it fits easily into a walk through the old quarter. The restored interior and facade are in good condition. Guided tours, when offered, give access behind the scenes, and the theatre is a useful reference for the cultural ambitions of late 19th-century Bilbao.