The Great Kursaal of San Sebastian The Great Maritime Kursaal of St. Sebastian opened in 1921, and was modeled after other European
Kursaals—buildings for the use of visitors at health resorts or spas that generally included ballrooms, game and concert halls and restaurants. The palace was located in front of the Gros beach, next to the mouth of the
Urumea River, on land gained from the sea. It incorporated a casino, a restaurant, a cinema and an 859-seat theater. Part of the interior, including the main hall, was designed by
Victor Eusa. After the prohibition of gambling in Spain, the building fell into disuse and sustained long-term damage. In 1965, a competition was held to find a replacement. However, the winning project was never constructed due to its complexity. The palace was demolished in 1973, freeing an empty plot (later called K Plot). A new project proposal was submitted in 1972. After a few changes to the design, construction started in 1975, but after the perimeter wall was complete and the foundations were laid, works were halted. The plot of land then passed from private hands to public and a consortium was created for the purposes of constructing a new building.
Current complex In 1989, six internationally renowned architects were invited to a technical consultation:
Mario Botta,
Norman Foster,
Arata Isozaki,
Rafael Moneo,
Juan Navarro Baldeweg and
Luis Peña Ganchegui. Of the six projects, the one by Moneo, titled "Two Stranded Rocks" was chosen. The project was drafted between 1991 and 1994, and in 1995, the final approval was given for the start of the works. Construction began in 1996, and was completed in 1999. The project faced financing problems, including the refusal of the Basque Government (which would be responsible for 16 % of the cost of the work) to expand the funds allocated to its construction. The building was inaugurated on August 23, 1999, with a concert of the and
Ainhoa Arteta. Its importance was also eclipsed by the parallel construction of the
Guggenheim Museum in
Bilbao, whose cost was more than twice that of the Kursaal. Initially, the impact on the urban landscape of San Sebastian, dominated by its classical French-style architecture, was characterized as negative. However, after a period of adaptation and due to the positive impact of the palace on the economy, tourism and cultural life of San Sebastian, the opinion of the majority of its residents changed to a positive attitude towards it. ==The building==