This task was assigned to Hadid by the city authorities back in October 2003, but due to long consultations and negotiations with local residents, the work on the plan was delayed for years.
On the path to transforming Bilbao from a seaport and industrial center that had lost its former significance into a post-industrial city, it was necessary not only to give it importance in the field of culture (which was achieved by the construction of a branch of the Guggenheim Museum), but also to turn its almost abandoned port area into an area of modern development.
One of the most backward and disadvantaged parts of the city - Sorrosaurre - attracted the attention of the authorities in the first place. This is a 60 hectare port section located on a peninsula at the mouth of the Nervion River, opposite the city center. Now there are about 450 people living there, and several small businesses are operating.
According to Hadid's plan, Sorrosaurre will be completely cut off from land and turned into an island; at the same time, it will be connected to different parts of the city by eight bridges. 15,000 people will live there, and another 6,000 will work in new workshops, laboratories, studios and offices. So that the territory does not suffer from seasonal floods, the river bed is planned to be expanded to 75 m, and the buildings will be located on platforms about 5 m high. with 6,000 new residential buildings and apartments, it is planned to locate two technology centers and a park with an area of 4 hectares. A wide embankment will also serve as a recreational area, which will connect the fabric of the building with the river bank.
Sorrosaurre will be fully integrated into the city's transport network, the tramway system will continue on its territory; also, its layout will continue the street grid of central Bilbao. New buildings of different heights and densities will be divided into “tiles” quarters with an area of about 1000 sq. M. m each. Thanks to this, the plan of the area is easily adapted to the peculiarities of the terrain: the curved profile of the island and the changing orientation of individual buildings due to this.
The completion of the Sorrosaurre transformation is scheduled between 2025 and 2030.
