Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet

Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet (1890–1954) was a Basque-origin Spanish architect and politician. He was among the founders of Basque Nationalist Action. After serving as a minister of justice he exiled first to France and then, to Mexico.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Bilbao and the second or maternal family name is Hospitalet.

Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet
Minister of Justice
In office
1937–1938
Personal details
Born18 September 1890
Bilbao
Died16 March 1954(1954-03-16) (aged 63)
New Mexico
NationalitySpanish
SpouseJulia Durán
Children7
Alma materMadrid School of Architecture

Early life and education
Erripa Kalea, a building designed by Tomás Bilbao in Bilbao

Bilbao was born in Bilbao on 18 September 1890 and his father was a building contractor.[1] He received a degree in architecture in 1918 from the School of Architecture of Madrid.[2]

Career

After working as an architecture Bilbao designed Altos Hornos de Vizcaya in 1929.[2] Like other architects of his generation he was influenced from German expressionism and the architectural approach led by Erich Mendelsohn.[3] Bilbao involved in politics and became a cofounder of the Basque Nationalist Action party in 1930 and the president of the Bilbao Municipal Housing Board in 1931.[1] He was also councillor and deputy mayor of the Bilbao City Council during the Second Republic.[1] In the period 1937–1938 he was minister of justice.[1]

Exile, personal life and death

Bilbao first exiled to France.[2] Then he settled in Mexico in May 1942 when France was invaded by Nazi forces.[2] There he worked for the Compañía Mexicana de Comercio Exterior.[2]

Bilbao was married to Julia Durán with whom he had seven children.[2] Their oldest son was arrested and executed following the exile of his father.[1][4] Tomás Bilbao died in Mexico City on 16 March 1954.[2]

One of his grandchildren, Tatiana Bilbao, is a well-known architecture in Mexico.[2]

References
  1. "Tomás Bilbao Hospitalet" (in Spanish). Real Academia de la Historia. 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  2. Juan Ignacio del Cueto Ruiz-Funes. "Contributions of the Basque Exile to Mexican Architecture". Mas Context. Archived from the original on 23 April 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
  3. Lucía C. Pérez-Moreno; Elena Martínez-Litago (2017). "Bilbao and the Magazine Nueva Forma". MAS Context (30–31): 30–31.
  4. "Bilbao Hospitalet, Tomás". Eusko Ikaskuntza. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021. Retrieved 12 December 2021.
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