Genre: Information/Explanation

The Kursaal Congress Centre and Auditorium is a complex comprising several spaces : a great auditorium , many-use halls and exhibition halls . It was designed by Spanish architect Rafael Moneo , and is located in Donostia-San Sebastián ( Basque Country , Spain ) . It opened in 1999 . It consists of several spaces , including the 1 , 800-seat concert hall , the Palacio de Congresos-Auditorio Kursaal , and is the home of the biggest film festival in Spain , the San Sebastian International Film Festival , in existence since 1953 . The historic Kursaal casino , next to the river's mouth The Great Kursaal was an elegant palace built in 1921 , incorporating a casino , a restaurant , a cinema theater , complementary rooms and an 859-seat theater , placed in front of the Gros beach , and next to the mouth of the Urumea river , but it was pulled down in 1973 . An empty plot ( later called K Plot ) was freed . The absence of any architectonic structure in such a privileged site for so many years was remarkable . At the time the old palace was pulled down , a competition was held to find a replacement . However , the winning project was never constructed due to its complexity . A new project proposal was submitted in 1972 . After a few changes to the design , building work was started in 1975 , but after the perimeter wall was complete and the foundations in place , works was halted . The plot of land then passed from private hands ( as the Great Kursaal had been private ) to public hands , so a public consortium was created for the purposes of constructing a new building . After the project was written down between 1991 and 1994 , the works were begun in 1996 , and were not finished until 1999 . During this period some funding problems arose , mainly because of the refusal of the Basque Government ( who paid for a 16 % of the total cost ) to increase the funds . After these problems were solved , the works were concluded in 1999 . The Kursaal Congress Centre was designed by Rafael Moneo and awarded the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture in 2001 . The initial impact of the buildings in the Donostia landscape ( characterized by its French style architecture ) was deemed negative by Donostians : the curved sandstone buildings clashed with a sharp-edged crystal structure . The significance of the building ( opened August 23 , 1999 , with a concert of the Euskadi Simphonic Orchestra and Ainhoa Arteta ) was also eclipsed by the parallel construction of the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao , which was twice as expensive as the Kursaal . However , after an adaptation period , and thanks to the positive impact it had in the economy , tourism and cultural life of Donostia , most citizens today appreciate the Kursaal building , and support it . Night view of Kursaal Palace lit up with Rainbow flag colors . It is mainly constituted as two large prismatic volumes , that emerge from a platform . Each " cube " ( as they are known ) , is formed by an inner prismatic structure , surrounded by double translucent glass panels , which are supported by a metallic structure . Between the cubes there is a big walkable surface , with sights to the Zurriola Beach and the mouth of the Urumea river . Various concerts of the Donostia Jazz Festival ( " Jazzaldia " ) , and many other events , take place in that terrace . Kursaal Auditorium Placed inside the biggest cube ( and closest to the sea ) , this auditorium can hold an audience of 1,800 , and is the most frequently used one for big events . The first seat rows can be removed to make room for the orchestra in an opera . Chamber Hall This seats 600 people , and is placed in the small cube . It is used for congresses or smaller concerts . Multiple-use rooms These are used for a variety of events for more limited audiences . Exhibition halls The halls are used for housing galleries and other exhibitions . Kubo Hall It is an exhibition hall under the supervision of the Kutxa savings bank . Moreover , the building has a restaurant owned by Martín Berasategui , various shops in its basement , and a car park .