ABSTRACT
Sudjic (1999) describes the growing trend in cities to redefine themselves through ‘grands projets’ in the French tradition. This may include the building of conference centres, universities, new airports, or, equally, cultural attractions such as museums or festivals. Bilbao, for example, has managed to transform itself from a little-known northern industrial Spanish city into the cultural centre of the Basque country and increasingly popular with the European short-break market. This is all a direct result of its ‘flagship’ museum The Guggenheim.
