A residential area with a highpercentage of public housing,Miribilla is one of Bilbao's newsuburbs. Prominently located ona small hill in the neighbourhood,

the Church was conceived byIMB architects' studio right herein Bilbao, all elements very muchin line with Catholic rites. As thechurch's interior is visible fromthe outside, even the least devoutof passers by will feel the callto worship.

Other shining examples of original buildings in this district,along with the Church, are the Bilbao Sports Arena, thecombined Fronton and sports federation offices, as wellas the new facilities for the Municipal Police and FireDepartments of Bilbao.

Inaugurated in 2010, ACXT's design of BilbaoSports Arena is structured into two modernmasses: a huge sports court seating 8,500spectators, and a sports centre. Outside, onlookerswill see a building simulating an enormous treecomposed of permeable plastic green leavesacting as a screen to cover the upper part of thebuilding while simulating tree branches.

On the other hand, the façade of the Sports Centreis composed of prefabricated textured concretepanels, simulating a big rock.

There is an enormous skylightin the roof allowing the poolarea to enjoy natural light,while several smaller skylightsilluminate the gymnasiums.

Another architectural icon of the district of Miribilla

is Fronton Bizkaia, built in concrete and ablack slate exterior, which by night is a beaconwelcoming all entering Bilbao via Miribilla.

The largest of its kind in Euskadi, architect JavierGASTON designed a building for over 2,800people. Next to the fronton, a two-walled ballcourt, is a trinket court for indoor versions ofBasque handball, pilota, a modern-day versionof Jeu de paume. The new home of Kirol Etxea,this sports facility bring together all the sportsfederations in Bilbao and the School of Basquehandball under one roof.

To put the finishing touch to Miribilla, themodern, 15,000 m 2 bui ld ing, wi thgroundbreaking design throughout its

exceptional infrastructure, is to house bothPublic Security and Civil Protection.This last edifice is work of Juan COLL-BARREAU architectural firm, also responsiblefor the design of the Basque Health ServiceBuilding in the Ensanche district of Bilbao.

The complex is comprised of twointerconnected buildings, the Department ofPublic Security building, with an irregular glassfaçade, and the austere rectilinear CivilProtection building, both connected to oneanother by an overhead walkway.

The most notable element of this complex is the construction of a 50 m high training tower