The Great Kursaal was an elegant palace built in 1921, incorporating a casino, a restaurant, a cinema theater, complementary rooms and an 859-seat theater, placed in front of the Gros beach, and next to the mouth of the Urumea river, but it was pulled down in 1973. An empty plot was freed. The absence of any architectonic structure in such a privileged site for so many years was remarkable.
Discarded projects
At the time the old palace was pulled down, a competition was held to find a replacement. However, the winning project was never constructed due to its complexity. A new project proposal was submitted in 1972. After a few changes to the design, building work was started in 1975, but after the perimeter wall was complete and the foundations in place, works was halted. The plot of land then passed from private hands to public hands, so a public consortium was created for the purposes of constructing a new building.
After the project was written down between 1991 and 1994, the works were begun in 1996, and were not finished until 1999. During this period some funding problems arose, mainly because of the refusal of the Basque Government to increase the funds. After these problems were solved, the works were concluded in 1999. The Kursaal Congress Centre was designed by Rafael Moneo and awarded the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecturein 2001. The initial impact of the buildings in the Donostia landscape was deemed negative by Donostians: the curved sandstone buildings clashed with a sharp-edged crystal structure. The significance of the building was also eclipsed by the parallel construction of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, which was twice as expensive as the Kursaal. However, after an adaptation period, and thanks to the positive impact it had in the economy, tourism and cultural life of Donostia, most citizens today appreciate the Kursaal building, and support it.
The building
It is mainly constituted as two large prismatic volumes, that emerge from a platform. Each "cube", is formed by an inner prismatic structure, surrounded by double translucent glass panels, which are supported by a metallic structure. Between the cubes there is a big walkable surface, with sights to the Zurriola Beach and the mouth of the Urumea river. Various concerts of the Donostia Jazz Festival, and many other events, take place in that terrace.
Kursaal Auditorium
Placed inside the biggest cube, this auditorium can hold an audience of 1,806, and is the most frequently used one for big events. The first seat rows can be removed to make room for the orchestra in an opera.
Chamber Hall
This seats 600 people, and is placed in the small cube. It is used for congresses or smaller concerts.
Multiple-use rooms
These are used for a variety of events for more limited audiences.
Exhibition halls
The halls are used for housing galleries and other exhibitions.
