Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao

Source: http://www.martinaas.com/PressRoom/2005/Guggenheim.html (accessed 1/10/10)

"It is an interesting paradox of popular taste that, while almost any modern building provokes disapproval, the most extravagantly unconventional design often excites general enthusiasm, the Sydney Opera House and the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum being cases in point." - D.M. Field (see reference below)

"It is an interesting paradox of popular taste that, while almost any modern building provokes disapproval, the most extravagantly unconventional design often excites general enthusiasm, the Sydney Opera House and the Bilbao Guggenheim Museum being cases in point." This Guggenheim Museum is one of 5 different Guggenheim Museums around the world, and is located in the Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain. Evidently, because of the mathematical complexity of the abstract sculpture-like design, the building would not have been possible without the aid of a computer, with Gehry leaning towards early movements in modern art in this piece, particularly Picasso and Cubism. The building consists of a series of disparate, interconnected forms which obey no apparent logic, and are mainly covered with titanium with some glass and limestone. The limestone was chosen for different reasons, including its colour, a perfect match for the sandstone facade of Deusto University. The glass walls are mounted on complex metal structures, the making of which was possible thanks to technological advances. The glass used in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is treated to protect the interior against heat and radiation while letting light stream into the entire building. The titanium panels hugging large parts of the building like "fish scales" are half-a-millimetre thick. The attractive rough finish is an effect sought by the architect for a more tactile, beautiful aspect. The true heart of the Museum is the atrium, measuring over 50 metres in height, flooded with light thanks to its enormous windows, and serving as a place of arrival, orientation and relaxation for the visitor. There are 20 galleries in the Museum which are distributed through 3 levels, with some in normal proportions and others in unusual irregularity, all interconnected by a system of curved walkways suspended from the ceiling, glass lifts and stairs. Gehry's design creates a spectacular and enormously visible structure acting as a sculptural backdrop for La Salve Bridge, the estuary, the buildings in the centre of Bilbao and the slopes of Mount Artxanda. Once through the foyer and inside the exhibition space itself, visitors find themselves in the atrium, with its enormous glass walls offering excellent views of the estuary and surrounding hills. The atrium is one of the most characteristic features of Gehry's design. Calculations have been made to the effect that its enormous height is more than 1.5 times the famous spiral designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Immersed in light from the "metallic flower" on the roof, the atrium serves as a place of meeting and reference while housing the enormous installations specifically conceived for the Museum. Natural light is a recurring theme in Gehry's design for this Museum, as seen particularly in the rectangular-shaped atrium. From here visitors get a clear idea of the exhibition space, as the classic galleries can be identified from the outside by their stone cladding, and they all have skylights providing natural light which even reaches the ground floor in some areas. This is thanks to an opening in the floor of the upper level lined by a wall forming a sort of tube which, apart from channelling the light, also means extra exhibition space. There is close harmony between the architectural shapes and the content of each gallery. This certainly makes orientation easier within the Museum which, thanks to the central atrium and walkways, moreover permits visitors to view the exhibition areas from other perspectives. The abstract, free-form building with sleek curvaceous cladding was hailed by architect Philip Johnson as "the greatest building of our time" and has become a place of pilgrimage for architecture buffs. Gehry produced a cathedral to art, a soaring sculpture functioning both as exhibition space and symbolic of community pride for a local city reaching for greatness. Gehry started developing the Museum forms using paper and wooden materials of different scales, and the creation of the design with fluid forms was made possible in the end by the 3D design computer program, Catia. Every point of the model's curved surface was digitally processed by the program, which developed and coordinated the construction while feeding information into a machine that sculpted an exact model of the building, so providing the architect an interpretation of his design. <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Frank Gehry and His Work:</span></span> Frank O. Gehry is considered to be one of the most important and influential architects of our time. Gehry is internationally recognised for his personal, unmistakable architecture based on new forms and materials (eg. copper, stainless steel, zinc or titanium), and for being particularly sensitive to the surrounding cultural and visual context. His work includes houses, museums, libraries, shops, auditoriums, office blocks, restaurants and public buildings, and he has won the most prestigious awards existing in the field of architecture. In May 1989 he earned the highest honour in the field, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, dedicated to those who have made "significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture". In 1992, he received the Japanese Praemium Imperiale Award, which honours lifetime contribution to architecture. And, in September 1994, he landed the first Dorothy and Lilian Gish Prize, one of the cultural awards to carry the greatest economic amount, established to recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to some form of the arts. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">References:</span> D.M. Field, "The World's Greatest Architecture: Past and Present", Grange Books: 2007, 437. http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Guggenheim_Bilbao.html http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao/history http://www.culturevulture.net/ArtandArch/Bilbao.htm http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/secciones/el_museo/el_edificio.php?idioma=en<span style="font-style: italic;"> (accessed 1/10/10)</span> FMGB, Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, Bilbao, 2007.This Guggenheim Museum is one of 5 different Guggenheim Museums around the world, and is located in the Basque city of Bilbao in northern Spain. Evidently, because of the mathematical complexity of the abstract sculpture-like design, the building would not have been possible without the aid of a computer, with Gehry leaning towards early movements in modern art in this piece, particularly Picasso and Cubism. The building consists of a series of disparate, interconnected forms which obey no apparent logic, and are mainly covered with titanium with some glass and limestone.

Source: http://www.shafe.co.uk/art/Frank_Gehry-_Guggenheim_Museum-_Bilbao-_1997-_roof.asp (accessed 1/10/10)

The limestone was chosen for different reasons, including its colour, a perfect match for the sandstone facade of Deusto University. The glass walls are mounted on complex metal structures, the making of which was possible thanks to technological advances. The glass used in the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is treated to protect the interior against heat and radiation while letting light stream into the entire building. The titanium panels hugging large parts of the building like "fish scales" are half-a-millimetre thick. The attractive rough finish is an effect sought by the architect for a more tactile, beautiful aspect.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2007/jun/01/filmingfrankgehry (accessed 1/10/10)

The true heart of the Museum is the atrium, measuring over 50 metres in height, flooded with light thanks to its enormous windows, and serving as a place of arrival, orientation and relaxation for the visitor. There are 20 galleries in the Museum which are distributed through 3 levels, with some in normal proportions and others in unusual irregularity, all interconnected by a system of curved walkways suspended from the ceiling, glass lifts and stairs.

Gehry's design creates a spectacular and enormously visible structure acting as a sculptural backdrop for La Salve Bridge, the estuary, the buildings in the centre of Bilbao and the slopes of Mount Artxanda.

Source: http://thelittleguidebook.com/2009/07/bilbao-guggenheim-museum/ (accessed 1/10/10)

Once through the foyer and inside the exhibition space itself, visitors find themselves in the atrium, with its enormous glass walls offering excellent views of the estuary and surrounding hills. The atrium is one of the most characteristic features of Gehry's design. Calculations have been made to the effect that its enormous height is more than 1.5 times the famous spiral designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Immersed in light from the "metallic flower" on the roof, the atrium serves as a place of meeting and reference while housing the enormous installations specifically conceived for the Museum.

Source: http://www.concierge.com/travelguide/bilbao/photos/photoview/61470 (accessed 1/10/10)

Natural light is a recurring theme in Gehry's design for this Museum, as seen particularly in the rectangular-shaped atrium. From here visitors get a clear idea of the exhibition space, as the classic galleries can be identified from the outside by their stone cladding, and they all have skylights providing natural light which even reaches the ground floor in some areas. This is thanks to an opening in the floor of the upper level lined by a wall forming a sort of tube which, apart from channelling the light, also means extra exhibition space.

Source: http://cryptome.org/jya/bilbao.htm (accessed 1/10/10)

There is close harmony between the architectural shapes and the content of each gallery. This certainly makes orientation easier within the Museum which, thanks to the central atrium and walkways, moreover permits visitors to view the exhibition areas from other perspectives.

Source: http://thelittleguidebook.com/2009/07/bilbao-guggenheim-museum/ (accessed 1/10/10)



Final Sections: cross section through main access atrium (top left), longitudinal section through atrium towards south (bottom left), longitudinal section through atrium towards north (top right), section through atrium (bottom right).
Source: Frank Gehry 1991-1995, 1995.

The abstract, free-form building with sleek curvaceous cladding was hailed by architect Philip Johnson as "the greatest building of our time" and has become a place of pilgrimage for architecture buffs. Gehry produced a cathedral to art, a soaring sculpture functioning both as exhibition space and symbolic of community pride for a local city reaching for greatness.

Gehry started developing the Museum forms using paper and wooden materials of different scales, and the creation of the design with fluid forms was made possible in the end by the 3D design computer program, Catia. Every point of the model's curved surface was digitally processed by the program, which developed and coordinated the construction while feeding information into a machine that sculpted an exact model of the building, so providing the architect an interpretation of his design.

left (top and bottom): North elevation, July 7, 1991.
right (top and bottom): Plan, July 7, 1991.
Source: Bruggen, Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 1998.

Frank Gehry and His Work:


Source: http://www.egodesign.ca/en/article.php?article_id=43 (accessed 1/10/10)

Frank O. Gehry is considered to be one of the most important and influential architects of our time. Gehry is internationally recognised for his personal, unmistakable architecture based on new forms and materials (eg. copper, stainless steel, zinc or titanium), and for being particularly sensitive to the surrounding cultural and visual context.

His work includes houses, museums, libraries, shops, auditoriums, office blocks, restaurants and public buildings, and he has won the most prestigious awards existing in the field of architecture. In May 1989 he earned the highest honour in the field, the Pritzker Architecture Prize, dedicated to those who have made "significant contributions to humanity and the built environment through the art of architecture". In 1992, he received the Japanese Praemium Imperiale Award, which honours lifetime contribution to architecture. And, in September 1994, he landed the first Dorothy and Lilian Gish Prize, one of the cultural awards to carry the greatest economic amount, established to recognise people who have made an exceptional contribution to some form of the arts.

References:
D.M. Field, "The World's Greatest Architecture: Past and Present", Grange Books: 2007, 437.
Kevin Matthews, Artifice: 1994-2010, from website: http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Guggenheim_Bilbao.html (accessed 29/09/10)
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation (SRGF), 2010, from website: http://www.guggenheim.org/bilbao/history (accessed 29/09/10)
Arthur Lazere, Culture Vulture, 2001, from website: http://www.culturevulture.net/ArtandArch/Bilbao.htm (accessed 29/09/10)
FMGB, Guggenheim Bilbao Museum, Bilbao, 2007, from website: http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/secciones/el_museo/el_edificio.php?idioma=en (accessed 1/10/10)