Abando HSR station transformation. Bilbao

The redevelopment of Abando High-Speed Rail Station will enhance the value of its historic buildings while driving the regeneration of the surrounding urban environment. This will be achieved through the refurbishment of adjacent public spaces, the strengthening of pedestrian and visual permeability between the station interior and the city, and the creation of a new arrival plaza on Bailén Street.

The historic train shed will no longer accommodate railway tracks and will instead become the station’s principal concourse, with its iconic stained-glass window serving as the focal point. The result is a covered civic space, open to the city and connecting all the station’s principal levels and functions. From this central area, passengers access the platforms via the “intermodal spine”, a bright and generous triple-height space that enhances wayfinding, improves safety and reconnects the two parts of the city that have historically been divided by the railway infrastructure.

The Abando station building will retain its concourse function at ground-floor level, providing access from Plaza Circular and the Metro station, while the upper floors will be comprehensively refurbished to accommodate offices and technical facilities, currently dispersed throughout the existing station complex.

The Concordia station, meanwhile, will cease to serve metre-gauge rail services and will be incorporated into the wider redevelopment through a programme of refurbishment and heritage enhancement. Reimagined as a key connection to the Old Town, it will become a vibrant destination for retail, leisure and dining activities.

Ultimately, the station is conceived as a new urban landmark and gateway to the city, with a renewed, coherent and iconic identity. By celebrating its railway heritage while fostering urban regeneration and creating a new civic centre, the project will play a catalytic role in the future development of Bilbao.