Manuela Gatto of Zaha Hadid Architects: “Zorrotzaurre needs to be focussed on creating opportunities for young people and creating a different city profile”

Manuela Gatto, Senior Associate of Zaha Hadid Architects, after the death of the anglo-iraqui architect, has been visiting Bilbao to give a conference at the BIA Urban Regeneration Forum, organized by local architects.

Gatto, who was the Director of the Master Plan for Zorrotzaurre, has been interviewed by a number of local media organisations with the Zorrotzaurre project the central theme.

With regard to the design of the Zorrotzaurre Master Plan, the Italian architect explained that they wanted to maintain the soul of the area and give new life to the industrial buildings. She recalled that they attempted to maintain the actual skyline with its variable heights and the curve of the land, and for this reason the layout for the buildings adapt to them; ‘the height of the buildings gradually drop as they approach the existing buildings and then they rise again’.

On what Zorrotzaurre could mean for Bilbao, Gatto said, ‘I hope that it will complement Abandiobarra with a touch of informality, more creative spaces; Zorrotzaurre will be more dynamic, its identity should be more focussed on creating opportunities for young people; I want it to give a new impulse to the economy and to a new profile for the city, a new type of culture’.

Gatto who declared herself happy with the infrastructures already built, said she would be delighted to continue working on the BBK headquarters building project because ‘it is very important for the identity of Zorrotzaurre. The Iberdrola tower gives meaning to Abandiobarra and it would be good for Zorrotzaurre to have its own tower.’

Gatto highlighted the enthusiasm with which Zaha Hadid took on the Master Plan design project as ‘she had great interest in working at the urban level, on groups of buildings and, in Bilbao, she found a major source of inspiration’.