Zorrotzaurre ( es, Zorrozaurre) is an

artificial island An artificial island is an island that has been constructed by people rather than formed by natural means. Artificial islands may vary in size from small islets reclaimed solely to support a single pillar of a building or structure to those tha ...

located within the

Deusto Deusto, also known as Deustu in Basque and formerly known as ''San Pedro de Deusto'', is one of the eight districts of Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption ...

district of

Bilbao ) , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = 275 px , map_caption = Interactive map outlining Bilbao , pushpin_map = Spain Basque Country#Spain#Europe , pushpin_map_caption ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

History

It was first formed as a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

during the 1950s and the 1960s, when a canal was built to facilitate navigation in the

estuary of Bilbao The Estuary of Bilbao (Spanish: ''Ría de Bilbao'' / Basque: ''Bilboko Itsasadarra'') lies at the common mouth of the rivers Nervion, Ibaizabal and Cadagua, which drain most of Biscay and part of Alava in the Basque Country, Spain. In this insta ...

. The project was stopped in 1968 with 400 meters left to finish, forming the former peninsula. The area reached its heyday during this decade, with many industries moving there. However, during the industrial crisis of the 1980s that struck the city, many industries were forced to shut down or relocate, and only a handful of them survived to this day. A plan was approved in 2012 to renew the neighborhood with residential and business uses, a Master Plan designed by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...

i architect

Zaha Hadid Dame Zaha Mohammad Hadid ( ar, زها حديد ''Zahā Ḥadīd''; 31 October 1950 – 31 March 2016) was an Iraqi-British architect, artist and designer, recognised as a major figure in architecture of the late 20th and early 21st centu ...

. As part of the Plan, the canal was finished and officially opened on 8 October 2018, making the former peninsula become an island. Two bridges link the resulting island to Deusto: Frank Gehry Bridge, inaugurated in 2015, and San Ignacio Bridge, finished in 2020.

References

External links

Comisión Gestora de Zorrotzaurre
Geography of Bilbao Estuary of Bilbao {{Basque-geo-stub