Three months ago, here on the blog, we brought you news about a contest had been set up to choose the design that will be used for the new building which will house the GOe – Gastronomy Open Ecosystem in San Sebastian. The ideas which were pre-selected to participated were 3xn (Denmark), BIG (Bjarke Ingel Group) (Denmark), OMA (Office of Metropolitan Architecture) (Netherlands), Snøhetta (Norway), and Toyo Ito & Associates (Japan).
And on May 13, we learned which project has won: the “Olatuen Bidea—Camino de las Olas” project by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) from Denmark have been chosen. 
GOe – Gastronomy Open Ecosystem, winning design by BIG (BJARKE INGELS GROUP)
Let’s recall that the GOe, promoted by the Basque Culinary Center (which we’ve discussed here on the blog on countless occasions), is a project created to integrate science and gastronomy in order to generate a culinary ecosystem focused on research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. It seeks to create a space to draw and develop talent and business leaders. The GOe is a unique project that will be designed as a space that is open to the city, allowing everyone to actively participate in what happens there. Its goal is to generate an urban innovation district that is integrated with the city, as well as a reference point and attraction.
Honestly, the fact that this is opening in 2024 is excellent, most excellent. We also like the plan that this design and its building, as we see it, integrate into: turning our country into the “The Culinary Nation.” It doesn’t matter that we are that, though we are: what matters is that it’s not enough to be it, we must also make sure the whole world is aware of that fact.
We’ve been going down this road for many years. It’s been a long time since some brave chefs marked out “New Basque Cuisine” (based on and respecting the principles of traditional Basque cuisine) until this project took shape. Slowly but surely the project has gathered steam and coalesced, culminating in the last few years in extraordinary projects like the Basque Culinary Center; the Basque Culinary World Prize; and organizing world-famous events like the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018; and participating in projects which have a global reach, like 50 Next, which recognizes young professionals, which the Basque Culinary Center is behind, and which will be held in Biblao this June.
And these are just some of the many events being held to make our country not just world-famous, but indeed a role model and inspiration for all in gastronomy.
We can’t help but celebrate this new and important step on the road, and we’re anxiously awaiting its inauguration.
We’ll leave you with the press release from the Basque Culinary Center about the choice of the design by BIG; its presentation of the winning design; a video by ETB which includes some images of the project; and some international media covering the story.
Basque Culinary Center – 13/5/2022 – Euskadi
EL ESTUDIO DE ARQUITECTURA DANÉS BIG (BJARKE INGELS GROUP) DISEÑARÁ EL EDIFICIO GOE EN DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN
La propuesta “Olatuen bidea -Camino de las Olas”, del estudio de arquitectura danés BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), se ha proclamado vencedora del concurso internacional para la dirección de las obras de construcción del edificio GOe – Gastronomy Open Ecosystem de Donostia San Sebastián, convocado por Basque Culinary Center. Un espacio que simboliza la unión entre gastronomía, talento, ciencia, innovación, emprendimiento y ciudad.
(In Spanish) (In English)
BIG – 2022 – Denmark
GASTRONOMY OPEN ECOSYSTEM Design
Así será el nuevo edificio del Basque Culinary Center del barrio donostiarra de Gros
(Video by ETB)
Fodevare Fokus – 18/5/2022 – Denmark
BJARKE INGELS SKAL DESIGNE GASTRONOMISK KULTURHUS I DONOSTIA-SAN SEBASTIÁN
San Sebastián er et af verdens nøglepunkter for international gastronomi og det baskiske kulinariske center – Basque Culinary Center – vil opføre et nyt gastronomisk kulturhus i Donostia-San Sebastián. Det er danske BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group der vandt udbuddet, med deres projekt, der har titlen ”Olatuen bidea – Camino de las Olas”. Projektet blev blandt andet udvalgt for dets arkitektoniske kvaliteter, og især for bygningens integration i omgivelserne, som skal forbedre det offentlige rum omkring bygningen, der kommer til at blive opført i byens Gros-kvarter.
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Gambero Rosso – 18/5/2022 – Italy
Come sarà il GOe, Gastronomy Open ecosystem di San Sebastián firmato da Bjarke Ingels Group
“Un edificio è solo un edificio”, diceva sul palco di Identità Golose Joxe Mari Aizega, presentando il nuovo progetto firmato Basque Culinary Center che – superata ormai la soglia dei 10 anni – si appresta a fare un ulteriore balzo in avanti, con lo stile e la lungimiranza che gli sono propri. Aizega, che del Basque è direttore generale e visionario animatore, raccontava il GOe, il Gastronomy Open ecosystem: la nuova struttura, frutto della collaborazione tra pubblico e privato, che nascerà a San Sebastián, sempre più epicentro della gastronomia mondiale, dove si immagina e si scrive il futuro.
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Wine News – 22/5/2022 – Italy
Integrato nell’ambiente, funzionale e innovativo: ecco il nuovo Gastronomy Open Ecosystem
Si chiama “Olatuen bidea – Camino de las Olas”, ed è il progetto, firmato dallo studio danese BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group), che grazie alla sua singolarità architettonica, all’integrazione con l’ambiente circostante e alla grande funzionalità, ha vinto il concorso internazionale per la costruzione della nuova sede del Gastronomy Open Ecosystem del Basque Culinary Center, a San Sebastian.
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Last Updated on May 22, 2022 by About Basque Country
