Five years ago, we wrote one of those articles that we find especially satisfying to share with our readers: Contributions of the Basque Exiles to Mexican Architecture…Or Something Else Francoism Stole. The article discussed and commented on an article by Mexican architect Juan Ignacio del Cueto Ruiz-Funes in which he discussed the careers of three Basque architects who lived in exile in Meixco: Tomás Bilbao (Bilbao, 1890—Mexico City, 1954), Juan de Madariaga (Bilbao, 1901-Bilbao, 1996), and Arturo Sáenz de la Calzada (Álava, 1907—Mexico City, 2003). It also recalled Basque-Meixcan architect Imanol Ordorika (Lekeitio, 1931—Mexico City, 1988) and art critic Juan de la Encina (Bilbao, 1881—Mexico, 1963).
1928-31. Tomás Bilbao. Arenal, 3.
One of them, Tomás Bilbao, is the co-star in today’s story, that of his granddaughter, Tatiana Bilbao. The elder Bilbao left an indelible mark on his native Bilbao, through emblematic buildings such as Unión y el Fénix located on El Arenal in Bilbao, as well as many groups of “affordable housing,” from his time as City Architect.
In addition to being a renowned architect, he was quite politically active as a Basque nationalist, and it was this that would land him in jail and then in exile. He was a founding member of Basque Nationalist Action (ANV), a city councilman in Bilbao, and a minister in the Republic, replacing the retiring Manuel de Irujo in the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV).
His arrival in Mexico, alongside many other Basques who had to flee from the insurgent Francoists is what leads us to this article’s main topic, his granddaughter, Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao.
The video above goes on to say, in addition to explaining her vision and the principles that guide her work, she looks up to her grandfather, highlighting how she carries architecture in her genes.
There was a quote that we thought perfectly reflected the way she faces up the challenges that arise in her work:
«No hace falta innovar siempre: con hacer una arquitectura responsable, que sirva a la gente para vivir mejor, es suficiente»
You don’t have to always innovate: when designing responsible architecture, if it serves to make the people live better, it is enough.
There is a long and interesting interview in which Tatiana Bilbao talks about who she is and, quite interestingly for us, why she is the way she is. Her Basque family, the long debates about politics and football around the dinner table, the influence her aitite had, and the heritage of his commitment to what he believed and his vision of architecture as a “political act.”
Currently, the younger Bilbao has an exhibition called Tatiana Bilbao Estudio:
City of Rooms at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh, which can be visited through June 15, 2025, links to which we leave below. It’s curious, because Pittsburgh was also one of the places the touring exhibition “Bilbao, a city’s transformation” went to in 2002, at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, which just happens to be one of Bilbao’s sister cities.
We’ll also leave you with information about her project El Gran Acuario del Mar de Cortés (The Great Aquarium of the Sea of Cortes) in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. This amazing building is smack-dab in the middle of an architectural movement that has generated “great public interest” thanks to the film The Brutalist, which just won three Oscars.
Honestly, we’ve found many, many references to Tatiana Bilbao in different media, not only in Mexico. We weren’t sure there was a direct relationship between her and Tomás Bilbao. Now that we decided to dig a little deeper, we discovered this fascinating story. It cannot be denied that the Basque exile has made a great contribution to Mexican society. A small “compensation” for the solidarity and support they gave when the Basques had to flee fascism.
We cannot but once again thank the United Mexican States for not renewing their diplomatic relations with Spain until after the dictator Franco had died.
We’re thrilled to see she’s proud of carrying on her grandfather’s legacy, both in architecture and in commitment to the cause of the Basque people.
Carnegie Museum of Art -2024 – USA
Tatiana Bilbao Estudio: City of Rooms
Where do we find rest? How do we share our meals? Can the spaces we inhabit daily help us better nurture one another? How might the design of a living room or a kitchen relate to—and empower—a broader sense of community?
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Obras por Expansion – 1/6/2023 – Mexico
Tatiana Bilbao diseña el acuario de Mazatlán con ojos hacia el futuro
En Mazatlán, Sinaloa se encuentra un edificio que parece haber salido de una película de fantasía por simular nacer entre la vegetación tropical cercana a la playa. El monumento, que se impone por sus patrones de formas geométricas rectangulares, es nombrado Gran Acuario Mazatlán, Mar de Cortés.
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Tomás Bilbao. Obras
San Ginés Vizcaino, Ignacio M. (2023). Tomás Bilbao. Obras. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Arquitectura. México.
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Last Updated on Mar 4, 2025 by About Basque Country