The Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain
Posted by Dylan on July 1, 2009The Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao, is one filled with contemporary and modern art. Bilbao is in the Basque country of Spain, and sits along the Nervion River. The Nervion cuts through the center of town and runs through to the Atlantic Ocean. This museum, located very close to the luxury hotels Bilbao is famous for hosting traveling exhibits as well as housing an extensive permanent collection of Spanish, as well as many international, artists.
The building itself is a work of art, designed by the American/Canadian architect Frank Gehry. His design is filled with what appears to be random curves, as he states the curves are not random, they are intended to catch the natural light in an incredible way. The style of the building is de-constructivism, although Gehry doesn’t claim to be an architect of any particular movement. Many have hailed the building as being one of the most innovative and beautiful structures in the world and of the time.
Gehry is well known for his method, and his style, that encapsulates the organic nature of the world. He designed the building to be like a ship, as the village of Bilbao is a port hub and fishing town in Spain. Various elements of steel are included in the structure, resembling the scales of a fish. This building is a product of the technology and the imagination necessary to utilize that technology that was available during the time of its construction. Gehry utilized computer programs when creating the blue-prints, which made the ideas much more clear, more plausible in the follow through.
He also took into consideration the two different facades, the side that faces the street is un-assuming and blends in with the architecture of the other buildings. However the side that faces the river is an explosive work of art. Efforts had been put forth to revitalize this area of the Basque region, and once the museum opened, it became at once, not only the favorite of the locals, but a major tourist attraction as well. Many give credit to this building alone as being the one attraction that put Bilbao on the the map, so to speak. Gehry’s museum has inspired the works of other architects and other buildings around the world, most notable is the Cerritos Millennium Library in California. Gehry also has the reputation of one that completes his projects on budget and on time. He credits this ability to being extremely organized and fully realized in his vision. This is one Spanish vision that will delight anyone traveling to Bilbao for the first time, or for second and third time.
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