Kursaal

The Kursaal consists of two translucent, tilted glass cubes that appear to float above the sand where the Urumea River meets the Cantabrian Sea. Architect Rafael Moneo designed these structures to resemble beached rocks, rugged and weathered by the powerful salt spray. Before these cubes went up in nineteen ninety-nine, the site held a grand, ornate casino that hosted high-society gambling until the Spanish Civil War forced it to close. The cubes now house concert halls and convention spaces instead.