34|REPORTAJE T he Bilbao Arena Sports Palace has been built on some old iron mi- nes, adjacent to the old town of Bilbao, in the neighborhood of Miribilla. The plot had a long ramp, (46 meters from one end to the other in only 200 meters) and the building had to be in the middle of the neighbor- hood park. Limestone rocks, peeking between the banks and the trees of the park, gave the key to solve the complex functional and circulation program of the building: simultaneous use for basketball games and indoors sports, the use of court by neighbors, players access, authorities, public premises for a possible lookout res- taurant, sports center with separate entrance but with access to court so that residents can use the court when there is no match, car park connected to both spaces, etc. The building was divided into two parts. The arena is on top, with the entrance away from the homes to avoid possible discomfort for exces- sive noise from Bilbao Basket Club fans. The sports center is at the bottom, closer to homes. The Bilbao Arena has been desig- ned as a tree, with tree-like pillars braced steel structure on the facade and painted steel leaves in different colors, to build an air-permeable seal hiding all the machinery of the climate room. El Palacio de Deportes Bilbao Arena ha sido construido sobre unas antiguas minas de hie- rro, colindantes a la par- te vieja de Bilbao, en el barrio de Miribilla. El solar presentaba mucho desnivel, (46 metros de una esqui- na a otra, en apenas 200 metros) y el edificio debía quedar en medio del parque del barrio. Unas rocas de piedra caliza, que asomaban entre los taludes y los árboles del parque, dieron la clave para resolver el complejo programa funcional y de circulaciones del edi- ficio: uso simultáneo para partidos de baloncesto y polideportivo, uso de cancha por los vecinos, acceso jugadores, autoridades, público, un local para un posible restaurante mirador, polideportivo con entrada independiente, pero con acceso a pista, para que los vecinos puedan usar la cancha cuando no hay par- tido, aparcamiento comunicado con ambos espacios, etc... El edificio se dividió en dos. El re- cinto arena en la parte superior, con las entradas lejos de las viviendas para evitar molestias por el posible excesivo ruido de los seguidores del Bilbao Basket. El polideportivo en