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Gehry's titanium cathedral
Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum has put Bilbao firmly back on the map. Inaugurated in 1997, the futuristic complex sparkles majestically in the sun. Every year, Gehry's masterpiece attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the Basque city.
Locals call their city El Botxo, 'the hole', a nickname that was quite appropriate before its revival. Bilbao used to be a dreary industrial city on the banks of the polluted Nervión river. Architect Frank Gehry got on a plane, climbed a mountain, looked out over Bilbao and saw that things weren’t quite right. He bought a shipload of discounted titanium and constructed one of the world's most famous buildings.
'La Araña' The spider at the Guggenheim
From Picasso and Dalí to Serra and Koons
Two decades later, Gehry’s amazing whirling construction is still Bilbao’s top attraction. Half of the 10,000 square metres of exhibit space is set aside for temporary exhibits. The other galleries display Warhol, Magritte, Picasso and Dalí. The 130-metre-deep Arcelor Gallery houses 7 of Richard Serra's massive sculptures of rusting steel. Outside we find one of the most fun artworks: 'Puppy' (pronounced ‘Poopie’), a metres-high dog sculpture made of colourful petunias created by the king of kitsch, Jeff Koons.
Visitors can use the free audio guide to find their way around this titanium cathedral of modern art. There is another guide for the exterior of the museum with information about the architecture. Those who prefer to peruse the library, browse the museum shop and relax on the restaurant terrace can easily spend a day at the Guggenheim. An interesting fact is that Gehry has also created a plan for Abandoibarra, the surrounding port district.
Visitors can use the free audio guide to find their way around this titanium cathedral of modern art. There is another guide for the exterior of the museum with information about the architecture. Those who prefer to peruse the library, browse the museum shop and relax on the restaurant terrace can easily spend a day at the Guggenheim. An interesting fact is that Gehry has also created a plan for Abandoibarra, the surrounding port district.
“'Puppy', a huge dog sculpture by king of kitsch Jeff Koons guards the entrance”