Tatiana Bilbao Curates Exhibition on Grandfather Tomás Bilbao at COAVN Bilbao

From May 27 to September 11, 2026, the Colegio Oficial de Arquitectos Vasco-Navarro (COAVN) in Bilbao presents "Tomás Bilbao por Tatiana Bilbao," an exhibition curated by Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao that revisits the work of her grandfather, architect Tomás Bilbao. The show is part of BIA 2026 — Bilbao Bizkaia Architecture Urban Regeneration Forum and accompanies Tatiana Bilbao receiving the Premio BIA 2026. The exhibition focuses on how buildings transform after decades of habitation, posing the question: what happens to a building when the architect no longer intervenes? It explores architecture as an open process where wear, repairs, appropriations, and daily modifications are part of the project. The exhibition features eight projects: Cooperativa de Buenavista, La Unión y el Fénix, Plaza del Mercado de Azkoitia, Casa Social, Casa Alday, Casa Aguirre, Casas Mugire-Líbano, and an installation for Altos Hornos de Bizkaia in Barcelona. Tomás Bilbao, trained in Madrid, was involved in the urban transformation of the Basque Country in the early 20th century, served as a councilor in Bilbao and deputy during the Second Spanish Republic, and went into exile in Mexico after the Civil War, practicing architecture until his death in 1954. The exhibition includes models by Tatiana Bilbao Estudio, original documents, and photographs by Luis Asín and Iwan Baan.