Tourism

The Batzoki (Basque National Party social centre) in Bermeo combines Modernism with Expressionism. The building stands out for the force of its visual impact, with its predominant curved shapes, its curved corner and its sense of balance along the whole of the facade. The effect is clearly Expressionist in style, but Modernist touches can be seen in the horizontal openings, smooth corners and nautical motifs on the railings, and in the “ship’s bridge” type feature that tops the building. Decorative features such as coloured raised strips highlight the horizontal composition, while in the interior the wooden coffered ceilings are simplified and rationalised in a style typical of the 1930s, in which the distinctions between Rationalism, Expressionism and Art Deco are blurred.