Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, 1991-199lect works of ar rther he maiceenance of permanent col The Gur tic Mose i Bibaa cated this general development sep sib chin of institutions under the seis ofthe Guggenteim Museum in New York, Bilao becomes the tet sie of ites Poesy Gogg ns death her pe vate muncum in Wnice revered to the per hovse in New York in 1976 Director Thomas Kren beg to ct further expansion of ambi o yet other cites 1989, he feted che water in Salebung and fer Hans Hollen’ operate eects hewn fom a rocky ‘i fled go materi, Krons moved on to open a temporary branch of th Guggeabein in Bedin and id he sroundwork fran fied mse Bits The “modern” ies of developing: eae becca tc considered in light of dhe innate comer vation of mteune—and di simple. fwncum ate indeed the uns Bele: ok wars oriy a ogi xo: of confining works of ar 0 the place where they have found «permanent home, more often than not asa mater of periodically rotated, shown in changing a precisely calibrated one a tha, by whic that define ther opestion throughout the These expeditions forthe Guggen ‘ici Moseum in Bilbao sole in i achitecarl co 1991, Thomas Kees ivited four architects to Billso-—HLans Hollen, Arat foe Himmel, and Frank Gehry sking them to sketch out thee ess for a novel purpose His choice of architect was trpered by his previous experiences with museum pect ad dhe way hee arches had of conceiving of them i. teens of their Alimos wo decides eater, the open ing ofthe Beaubourg muscu in PaisPinot st 2 he own 3 tout oul rn toe po Sch an he advent of mseur that owe their idemiy lew to permanent collections than eo vicerl impact Compare co an “azrft-catier of ear the B= ourg berthed the idea of the“mnision, {el culure”n one ofthe nepsctod precincts of Pars, piying ap ie purpone a an traction forthe uniniiated a wells sophisticated its, Je a Lex Halles wer ce the place where the bougeoiie ‘went for oysters and came at mid night, he new call rors now ids i mecea among collections dedicated vo {nds design fl, vido ata spectacular roftop view of Pais thrown in for good measure Ever since dhe Beaubourg opened in 7, pea ep ett iS red to stand the test a adequate repo tories of art but they are alo expected 10 acta catalytic agents of wba eanorma Gehey’s projects for dhe Wale Disney f are both located in what had become ncort Halland the Moseum in Bilbo eae ateeie places sored by trafic and made seers, riser by major ght lines, but acking in any cleat manifestation of character The compro= nse condos of Both ios ae aap near foe the comple crcametansss ander which the Bikao commision was precipitate by the regional and municipal government in negotiations with dhe CGuggenheion Museum ig New York Sueh grand projec asthe Bilbao Ggenbeim place extra burdens on the train ination of the museum, on onc find new ways of iancing themes, dey resort the kind of gambis with whieh Phineas Tylor Barras fled his circus tents The exagaeation ofthe pubic stun of museunns—noe in all eee dependent fo new bugs though racy acon plished without temas ao led to iewportant changes in thir architect character, New museums fequie 2 grand ann ever more impressive public presence,Fe Gey olen apes Wes tin and equally iwentve ad varied interiors ‘The achievement of vohumetrc presence 1 utside and a paral expusivenes fn the inside al for dramatic trastons, ven magical transport, of the visitors ‘experience With his bailing of the 1980, Frank Gehry returned to an arhitectie por ses of powenfil corporeal auaities. He docs not sink oF the volumes of his building within he confines of abt space (which ie ko the space of econom- ic)sathe he engages these volumes in inmate retionships sith one another. (One need only ebserve Gry’ manner of drawing eo gain an immed sense of his ‘way of thinking the pen oss not so much gle aos the age a it dances ffordely through a contingam of space His fn for the eatsiery and his con- Jucers grasp of minute diplacement are fled by his knowledge of performance art an enriched by bis collaborations with arts auch at Claes Olden. {A Bilbao, Chr hat been planning with and fr artists, proving spaces for specially commissioned insalitions aswell 4s lesble galleries for the inevitable vti- cy of exhibition dsplays The bung complex includes generouly proportioned areas for public events and unforseen ‘opporuniis that sy expand the pur- poses of contemporary muscu Iris entirely purposeful shat the meu has ‘ben anchored i the cityscape of Bib lke a vas ices ent surrounded by 2 congerie of carmuns, forthe variety of vents anticipated to take place ehere requires ge and ever varying ves, Subsidiary spaces ae luered together, squeezed though the boedenesk beoween river and emfankment, made to duck under brides, and fn allowed to soar ‘over the bulking core in a spectacular canopy. 1itis pose wo speak oa spa eal tha aks figural contours yet pox sess power bodily quits if ambula- tion can unlock the completes ofabuilding’ onder beyond the eulines ofthe phn, then the Musca in Bilbo revives tm architec dat ha sn doesnt for cenurics. Ione examines hori auchiecrore in search of buildings cat tight preiage what Frank O: Geliry as then able to achieve, one i ily to pay attention to Francesco Borroin, Becase the sheer effct ofthe Bilbao Guggenheim ‘overshelns and continues to intrigue, not lle the fication Borromins build {ng eld or his fellow arcitets and ever his somedime-employer Bernini the Fcscennnce of exeenive wate deserves some consideration, Before tea be considered anything es, the Bilboo ‘Guggcnbeims must be reckoned over- ‘weight, overdone, and overwhelming Ie an imaovable pile ithe city and a sinw- fous creature draping ts body along mar. row ledge above the cave on the ine, anda metalic mown ret As luminous ‘ain fom without, the maseums appears 0 be both a pefect fie and a perfect seanger "The vigor and resolve with which ‘Gehry acd the Bilbao project sprang, ingly and vole om his sappoine- ‘meat over dhe Concert Hal ‘When it became clear that yar might ps before the concer all would be bolt, Gehry as ave from an all-t00- Samir deine into resentaen bythe oven more challenging opportunity in Billoo. Here, ty ofcomputer-asisted dag. Leaving is usar ole fr behind, he and his col- Inborators made wee of programs that were ‘originally developed fr the desig ofa plane Fsclages, bu which in this cate po- ley tapped the ull eapaci- Vide the ters for the shaping of every part and the refinement of every clement inthe design and contraction of the ‘ue The age-old diincton berseen ‘the hand dat design andthe incumnents tha execuee fs been overcome: the ps ‘ate phases and techniques of conceiving and excetng building here wene woven {no an unbroken “Toop” Only in this way Fark o.Ghy 29 Secon SecsSale pce wh wort yas ete an the inaccurate i among the conven ional separate pases of invention, tan ‘cripton, and execution be perfected, nd the eaponcntal degree of geometric com etity oF och a struct be relied Soil! ey al eae Not only wil the Bilbao m down as one ofthe most complex formal inwetrions of aur time, but i will abo stand a 4 monument the productive capitis that ave aow a ou dpa, iso as an architec ke Gebey pushes them to new eights of maginave we [When complexes ofan order commen surte with ovr understanding ofthe word ean be restored to architecture, we shall no longer have 10 be content with the sbsintnce dies diated by economics eg be tis vat tengo tats ofan exter eu Kr 1 oter