Juan Ignacio Vidarte

Conference: From House to Home
Working Paper | The Regeneration of Bilbao: A Paradigm for Cities in the 21st Century

Juan Ignacio Vidarte, Director General of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is married and has two daughters. As Director of the Institute for Regional Research of Bizkaia (1986-1988), he was appointed Director-General for Regional Development of the Provincial Council of Bizkaia (1988), a position he held until 1989, when he was appointed Director-General of Tax and Financial Policies (Bizkaia). In 1992 he became Director of the Consortium for the Guggenheim Bilbao Project, in charge of managing construction and installation of the Museum in Bilbao and in 1996 Director-General of the Museum, a position he currently holds; the Museum has since received numerous awards and prizes. He has published many articles and delivered talks on subjects such as the Museum’s management model and its economic impact including his appearance as a guest speaker before the British House of Commons, where he delivered a paper entitled The Bilbao Effect. He has also been invited to participate in national and international conferences and encounters such as the Brussels Capital of Europe seminar, organised by the European Commission.