The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. It’s unusual curves stand in contrast to the other sides of the building’s traditional flat surfaces & immediately draw the eye.
The Guggenheim
The Guggenheim Museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by the King, Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art.
It has been full ever since, with exhibitions, ceremonies, and art lovers from around the world.
In the process of exhibiting, the museum has revitalized the downtown core – and demonstrated new meaning to the influence of art & architecture on cityscapes.
Built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea, it is one of several museums belonging to the Guggenheim Foundation and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists.
It is still one of the largest museums in Spain, and is a destination site for many Spanish travelers.
One of the most admired works of contemporary architecture, the building has been hailed as a “signal moment in the architectural culture”, because it represents one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something.
The museum was the building most frequently named as one of the most important works completed since 1980 in the 2010 World Architecture Survey among architecture experts.
Stepping inside, you can see what all the accolades are for. The cathedral sized interior walkways tease visitors around every corner. You never know whether there will be more above you or in front of you as you walk around from exhibition hall to lobby to interactive exhibit.
Other major buildings by Gehry include the MoPOP Museum in Seattle (top) and the new Luma Arles Tower in Arles, France. Each has a stunning way of reflecting the character of the city they are in. Always dramatic – and not to be ignored.
Source: Wikipedia
