Chapter 1
The New York original: Frank Lloyd Wright's spiral
Chapter 2
The Venetian escape: Peggy Guggenheim's palazzo
Chapter 3
The Basque transformation: Frank Gehry's Bilbao effect
Chapter 4
The desert oasis: Frank Gehry's cones in Abu Dhabi
YOUR GOAL
Master of The art of the curve: inside the global Guggenheim family
Ch 3 · The Basque transformation: Frank Gehry's Bilbao effect
suaz Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Shining titanium sheets catch the shifting sky To turn the tide of this old Basque town
suaz Opened in October 1997, the Guggenheim Bilbao welcomed one million visitors its first year, transforming a gritty port
BETA
suaz Navigate rusty steel caverns to discover how Bilbao's industrial heritage inspired its iconic Guggenheim museum.
Fun Fact
Computerized Curves: Frank Gehry used a French aerospace software program called CATIA, originally designed to model fighter jets, to calculate the complex curves of the Bilbao museum.
Glossary
bilbao effect (noun)
The economic and cultural revitalization of a city through the construction of prominent, iconic architecture. This concept emerged after Frank Gehry's titanium museum opened in Bilbao in October 1997.
The economic and cultural revitalization of a city through the construction of prominent, iconic architecture. This concept emerged after Frank Gehry's titanium museum opened in Bilbao in October 1997.
Quiz
What is the name of Louise Bourgeois' giant 30-foot-tall spider sculpture standing outside the Guggenheim Bilbao?
Quiz
Which massive steel sculpture installation by Richard Serra is permanently housed inside the Guggenheim Bilbao?
Quiz
Which Canadian-American architect designed the shimmering Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain?
Quiz
What material covers the exterior of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, giving it a fish-scale appearance?
Quiz
What animal is represented by Jeff Koons' massive flower-covered sculpture outside the Bilbao museum?