Vitoria, in the province of Álava, is the capital of the Basque community in Spain. Erected on a small site within the densely built-up old city centre, the new complex for the archaeological museum adjoins the rehabilitated Bendaña Palace, which dates from the 16th century. The two buildings are linked by a common courtyard. The new museum presents a virtually closed front to the street: clad with ribbed bronze sheeting, the facade is interrupted by only a few openings. The building was designed rather like an outsize jewellery casket to form a safe housing for the exhibits. The deep cedar-clad reveals give some indication of the double-skin external wall construction, in which showcases and the technical services for the museum are integrated. Here, the exhibits are displayed like objects in a shop window or showcase.
