{"id":28788,"date":"2026-06-05T14:52:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:52:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/?p=28788"},"modified":"2026-06-05T14:55:07","modified_gmt":"2026-06-05T14:55:07","slug":"chillida-leku-a-signature-museum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/chillida-leku-a-signature-museum\/","title":{"rendered":"Chillida Leku: A Signature Museum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Founded during his lifetime by Eduardo Chillida himself, Chillida Leku houses the most extensive and representative collection of the artist\u2019s work. It is located on the outskirts of Hernani, very close to San Sebasti\u00e1n, and is made up of an open-air set of sculptures and an exhibition space inside the Zabalaga Country House, a traditional Basque construction erected in the fifteenth century. Said house and its adjacent grounds were acquired in the 1980s by Eduardo Chillida and his wife Pilar Belzunce, who personally restored and refurbished them over the course of more than fifteen years. That first rehabilitation project was carried out in collaboration with the Basque architect Joaqu\u00edn Montero, who helped the couple\u2019s highly personal vision for the exhibition space to materialize. The sculptor was looking for a home for his artwork \u2014a \u201cplace\u201d (in Basque, leku<\/em>)\u2014 where future generations could learn about and experience his art in a unique setting.<\/p>\n

With the support of the prestigious Swiss gallery Hauser & Wirth, the museum underwent a carefully conceived update in 2019, adding a welcome center, a shop, and a caf\u00e9: Lurra Caf\u00e9. The renovation was led by Argentine architect Luis Laplace, in close collaboration with architect Jon Essery Chillida, the sculptor\u2019s grandson. The project likewise had the contribution of Dutch nature artist Piet Oudolf, pioneer of the New Perennial Movement. Said artist\u2019s contribution consisted of introducing subtle landscaping elements.<\/p>\n

Chillida Leku is a living space where the works by the master converse with those of guest artists: Phyllida Barlow, Joan Mir\u00f3, Antoni T\u00e0pies, and Koen Vanmechelen have all been showcased at the museum in recent years. It has also hosted major celebrations, including the centenary of Eduardo Chillida\u2019s birth in 2024 and the centenary of Pilar Belzunce\u2019s birth in 2025, honoring her essential role in shaping this unique place.<\/p>\n

The magic of Chillida Leku lies in the freedom it offers visitors, who can wander the estate without a set itinerary, enjoying an intimate stroll among the sculptures. One can pause before each piece, feel the texture of the granite, appreciate its forms, and rest on the grass, taking in the surroundings. The museum encourages a slow, mindful exploration \u2014 a rare opportunity to enjoy the moment. That, perhaps, is its greatest luxury.<\/p>\n

Above all, Chillida Leku is a meeting place: of art, of people, and of ideas. True to Eduardo Chillida\u2019s vision of art as dialogue and the pursuit of balance, the museum extends that philosophy by creating a space where diverse disciplines intersect. Throughout the year, music, cinema, drawing, and wellness and mindfulness practices find their ideal stage here. The sounds of Jazzaldia and the Musical Fortnight of San Sebasti\u00e1n, which transform the museum\u2019s lawns into an open-air auditorium each summer, are just one example of this seamless fusion between culture and nature. Around the sculptures, sensory experiences, creative workshops, and educational programs reinforce Chillida Leku\u2019s vocation as a vibrant, open, and participatory space.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Chillida Leku<\/strong><\/p>\n

Barrio Jauregui 66, Hernani.<\/p>\n

museochillidaleku.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photograph:<\/em> Arco de la libertad y el caser\u00edo Zabalaga. Sucesi\u00f3n Eduardo Chillida y Hauser & Wirth. \u00a9Zabalaga Leku. San Sebasti\u00e1n, VEGAP, 2025. I\u00f1igo Santiago.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Founded during his lifetime by Eduardo Chillida himself, Chillida Leku houses the most extensive and representative collection of the artist\u2019s work. It is located on the outskirts of Hernani, very close to San Sebasti\u00e1n, and is made up of an open-air set of sculptures and an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":28784,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[392],"tags":[808,416],"class_list":["post-28788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-artculture","tag-2026-en","tag-hernani-en"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28788"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28791,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28788\/revisions\/28791"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basqueluxury.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}