The Tiger of Deusto - Disfruta Bizkaia

Bilbao is full of spots that end up becoming part of the visual memory of the city, and very few achieve that like the Tiger of Deusto. Located in Botica Vieja across from the Palacio Euskalduna area, this building catches your eye from a distance because of an impossible to ignore detail, which is the enormous tiger statue that crowns its highest point and that over time has become one of the most unusual and recognisable symbols of Bilbao.

Part of its charm lies precisely in the combination between industrial architecture and sculptural element. The building was erected in 1940 to use as a factory, and later it was crowned with the famous tiger statue, which was commissioned in 1942 from Joaquín Lucarini, a sculptor from Álava, and placed atop the building shortly afterwards. That combination of industrial function and monumental presence is what gives it so much personality in the urban landscape of Bilbao.

What really makes this spot special is the statue itself. It’s a nine-metre-long concrete tiger placed on a turret on the building that has become its most distinctive feature. It’s not surprising that over the years a lot of people have confused it with a lion, but official tourist sources clearly identify it as a tiger, and they present it as one of the must unique pieces of the urban heritage of this part of Bilbao.

The tiger, which is nine metres long and has become a symbol of Bilbao, and the building from which it watches over the people in Bilbao has been restored and turned into luxury housing.

There are some who say that Medizabal ordered a ferocious tiger to be installed on the highest point of the building after a quarrel with the local bourgeoisie to show the power of ‘Correas el Tigre’ in the area.

In addition, the place is a lot more interesting than it first appears. The El Tigre building was part of the industrial past of Deusto, and today it’s also seen as an example of urban renewal. The building has been renovated for use as housing and commercial spaces such that its silhouette is still part of the landscape of the estuary, even though its function is completely different from the original.

Another point in favour of this spot is its location. Botica Vieja and the Deusto riverfront are very pleasant places to go for a walk, with views of the water and a very interesting perspective of an area of Bilbao where industrial memory, 20th century architecture and new urban transformations coexist.

The Tiger of Deusto is, in short, one of those small stops that has a lot of character that helps understand another Bilbao, the one of the estuary, industry, unexpected statues and the symbols that come to be part of the everyday landscape of the city.

What makes the Tiger of Deustro special

It’s located in Botica Vieja across from the Palacio Euskalduna area.
The statue was commissioned from Joaquím Lucarini in 1942.
The tiger is nine metres long.
The building was created for industrial use and today it has been converted into housing and commercial spaces.