This work is a clear example of the importance that Chillida placed on the particular environment where his sculpture would be installed. The Arco de la libertad was commissioned by the city of Paris for its Sainte-Anne Square and the original project included pedestrianisation of the location. Chillida was enchanted by the idea and began working on the sculpture. Once complete, Chillida was told that the square would not in fact be closed to vehicles. In view of these new parameters, he declined to deliver the piece and left the sculpture instead in a strategically-chosen location in the museum. The positioning of the Arco de la libertad marks the limit between the open fields and the wooded area, as well as the start of a boulevard which connects the country house with the English-style villa.

Chillida's sculptures are imbued with a strong ethical component and a clear concern for human rights. Using a purely abstract language, the sculptor shows his concern for safeguarding universal values which belong to all men and women across the world—values such as peace, tolerance, fraternity and liberty. With this work, in the form of an arch open to the sky, the artist translates the concept of freedom to a plastic language. The piece can be experienced corporally, and Chillida invites us to approach it from a philosophical dimension.