The Guggenheim Museum
At Bent LA we are always looking for cool inspiration from our surroundings that speak to shape, scale, and culture. I was lucky enough to have such inspiration when I was in Spain for a wedding and visited the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao, Spain.
Bilbao is a very old town in Northern Spain, and like most of it’s surroundings, is filled with charming old buildings and cobblestone streets. As we drove up to the Guggenheim, I was in awe by the grandness of the structure.
The outside of this museum is almost more spectacular than the works inside! It demands attention, and creates an incredible juxtaposition with the space around it.
Frank Gehry, the architect of the Guggenheim museum said,
“When I can predict or plan it, I don't do it. Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for timelessness. It's not new that architecture can profoundly affect a place, sometimes transform it. Architecture and any art can transform a person, even save someone.”
When I thought about Gehry’s quote, I realized I have never experienced this in such a significant way. This building is a modern masterpiece in a setting of an old European town – it substantially bends the landscape of the environment.
As a young designer, I was particularly struck by the shape and scale of the museum. It made me want to dig deeper in Frank Gehry.
Here are a few things I learned:
- He lives in LA!
- He designed his first private residence at the age of 28
- He designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall (Another LA connection!)
- He made a line of jewelry for Tiffany & Co
- His firm was responsible for innovation in architectural software
