The Torre Bizkaia literally towers above the city centre of Bilbao since 1969. Following its renovation, the highrise building formerly owned by a bank seems as if it had been cleaned with a power washer: The planners of Idom meticulously restored the original visual impression of the facades and upgraded them to meet current energy standards. The nearly 90 m tall, 22 storey administrative building across from the Abando main railway station was originally the headquarters of Banco de Vizcaya, which later became BBVA. In 2009 the financial institute sold the building to two investors. They commissioned Idom to renovate it and transform the first six floors into a shopping centre. The levels above are still intended for office use.