More Sources

Forster, Kurt Walter., and Ralph Richter. Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Bilao Museoa. Stuttgart: Edition Axel Menges, 1998. Print.

Van Bruggen, Cooseje. Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. New York: Guggenheim Museum Publications, 1998. Print.

The Miracle in Bilbao

• Frank Gehry's Museum has played a key role in transforming Bilbao into a blossoming cultural center. I would agree with this statement considering that Bilbao is now home to many various arts and is considered a cultural center in Spain.

Frank Gehry's World

• Gehry is the face of American architecture
• Gehry believes in a little insecurity and a lot of modesty to stay an effective artist
• Gehry has also stepped foot into the world of furniture, although he has not been as succesful as his architecture career

Current Exhibits

Construction

The complex shapes and orientations of the museum meant that construction was no easy feat. The architect utilized Aerospace grade software to complete the design of the building.

Part of Frank Gehry's scaled models
Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Bilao Museoa

Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Bilao Museoa

3D CAD renderings of the building
Frank O. Gehry: Guggenheim Bilao Museoa

Drawings

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilba

Concept Art
Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilba

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilba

Attempt at single line drawing - Yours truly

The Architect

Frank Gehry is considered one of the most influential architects of this century. His works incorporate organic design and push the limits of what we think a building should look like.

He has been the recipient for some of architectures most prestigious awards like the Pritzker or Praemium Imperiale Award. His firm is located in Los Angeles.

Some of his other notable works include the Louis Vuitton Foundation in Paris, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and the MIT Ray and Maria Stata Center in Cambridge.

Frank Owen Gehry
"The Unbuilding of Frank Gehry." NYMag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Feb. 2015.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7DwhvAhyCA

Interior

The inside of the museum is designed with exhibits of all shapes, sizes, and colors in mind. The vast open spaces accommodate installation pieces, while other locations hold a more intimate feeling, allowing visitors to connect with smaller pieces.

"Guggenheim+bilbao - Google Search." Guggenheim+bilbao - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015. 

"AD Classics: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao / Frank Gehry." ArchDaily. N.p., 01 Sept. 2013. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.

Section and first floor plan for the museum:

"AD Classics: The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao / Frank Gehry." ArchDaily. N.p., 01 Sept. 2013. Web. 01 Feb. 2015.

The three story central atrium is the heart of the building, and perfectly displays the glass, limestone, and titanium.

Exterior

The exterior of the Museum is obviously dominated by a shiny metal plates that take on a different look and feel depending on the weather and time of day.  In fact, this metal is titanium, and nearly 33,000 sheets line the outside of the building. The limestone and glass also utilized, complement the buildings exterior incredibly well.

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The dynamic between the limestone, glass, and titanium
is smoothly crafted.
Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

A stunning shot of the Museum's titanium exterior at night,
which gives an almost bronze tone. 
Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Bilbao sits on the banks of the Navion River where it is surrounded by the explosive metropolitan life of Bilbao. 

Google Earth

The Museum is straddled on one side by the river and the city of Bilbao on the other. The museum then becomes a great meeting point between nature and man.
Google Earth

The Guggenheim Bilbao

This Guggenheim Museum is located in Bilbao, Spain, and sits along the Nervion River where it brings an incredible aura of culture and art to the region. It is one of the foremost museums for contemporary and modern arts. The Museum has significantly lifted the economy of the local region, so much that a significant impact on any local economy by a building is referred to as the "Bilbao Effect"

From an interviewed peer: "The Guggenheim stands out wildly in the middle of Bilbao. You definitely can't miss it." The unique architecture of the building, especially it's reflective titanium coating and organic massing make it something people definitely won't walk past without a second look.

Frank O. Gehry Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The building was implemented by renown architect Frank Owen Gehry, and was constructed between October 1993 and October 1997. Gehry, known for his work with industrial spaces, initially felt that reconstructing an old warehouse might be a better fit for the new Guggenheim. However, he ended up selecting a location on the banks of the Nervion River stating: "I liked the site because it went under the bridge."

The Guggenheim Foundation was founded by United States Senator John Simon Guggenheim and his wife as a memorial to a son they lost in 1922. The Foundation empowers artists and scholars, backing them in the creation of a variety of arts. 

"Homepage - John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation." Homepage - John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Feb. 2015.