Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Spain. Frank Gehry (architect). 1997 C.E. Bilbao, Spain.
Titanium, glass, and limestone.
A museum to challenge assumptions about art museum collecting and programming with its inventive design. To showcase great
fine art exhibitions and further the redevelopment of the city Bilbao.
FORM:
titanium, glass, and limestone
FUNCTION:
museum
CONTENT:
the exterior of the building appears as curving organic shapes; reflective panels resemble fish
scales; museum centers on the atrium - looks out into the Basque country
CONTEXT: praised immediately for its innovative design, but has been decried as a symbol of
gentrification and American cultural imperialism
