On 12 December, the Palacio de Arriluce Hotel was the perfect setting for the presentation of Neguri. Arquitectura (Ed. Caligráfico, 2024), the most recent work by journalist and writer Txema Ybarra. This book, an ode to the architectural and cultural wealth of Neguri, captures the spirit of the Belle Époque in Getxo and pays tribute to a legacy that transcends generations.
The choice of the Palacio de Arriluce as the book’s cover is no coincidence. This emblematic building, an architectural jewel from the early 20th century, embodies the luxury and sophistication that defined Neguri’s golden age. Its transformation into a luxury hotel barely a year ago reinforces its status as a living symbol of tradition and modernity, uniting its aristocratic past with Getxo’s vibrant cultural and tourist present.
A visual and narrative journey
In Neguri. Arquitectura, Txema Ybarra unravels the secrets of this iconic neighbourhood, from its foundation in 1904 as a garden city to its consolidation as a benchmark for luxury urban planning in Spain. Through meticulous research, the author combines historical and social analysis with an impressive collection of photographs, many of them unpublished, to offer a unique perspective on the stylistic diversity that defines Neguri.
From Old English and Queen Anne to baroque influences and neo-Baroque elements, the pages of the book celebrate the vision of architects such as Manuel María Smith and Ricardo Bastida, who managed to capture the essence of an era marked by the industrial boom and international influences.
The Palacio de Arriluce, the protagonist of the book’s cover, stands as an emblem of Ybarra’s narrative. Its imposing façade, surrounded by gardens that evoke a time of opulence, represents the balance between tradition and modernity that characterises Neguri. The building’s neo-Basque architecture, tinged with Belle Époque details, invites the reader to rediscover a past that is still alive in every corner of the neighbourhood.
