Frank Gehry and his architecture are known for the controversial Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which has long lived a double life: a harbinger of gentrification and a masterpiece of rule-breaking design. Which is it going to be?

About Frank Gehry

Frank Gehry is a Canadian architect known for his modernist architectural style that has been defined as Deconstructivism by the Merriam-Webster Dictionary as: “An architectural movement (…) influenced by deconstruction that encourages radical freedom of form and the open manifestation of complexity in a building (…).” . His works feature giant sheets of titanium that recall the shapes of sails and waves, inspired by his love for art and sailing. This controversial style is what set Gehry apart from other architects of his time and landed him the informal label of Starchitect. 

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

The museum was initially commissioned in the hopes of reviving Bilbao’s economy after its decline that peaked during the 1980s. After its opening in 1997, the city saw a significant rise in tourism, improving its economy and turning it into a cultural hub. In Sydney Pollack’s biographical documentary Frank Gehry’s Sketches (2005) Gehry describes it as an evolution with the objective of expressing feeling in three-dimensional form. The design echoes the Basque city’s industrial and naval history, as Gehry was particularly struck by what would become the future site of the museum: a wharf for industrial use on the Nervión River.

Criticism and the “White-Box” Gallery

The museum doesn’t come without criticism. Gehry himself states that when he first saw it his reaction was of disbelief and discomfort. In Pollack’s documentary, he declares his first thought upon seeing the museum as: “Oh my God, what have I done to these people?” The final result’s design contrasted harshly with the city beneath it. Many have also criticized the Guggenheim for being too difficult to display art in. This due to its curved walls and complex spatial arrangement. In conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator at the Serpentine Museum, Gehry expresses his opinion on the matter: “(…) the context does change the feeling of a work. When the feeling of the space is sterilized, then you have to fight that to see the art.”

The McGuggenheim

Thomas Krens, management-trained director of the Guggenheim until 2008, was heavily criticized for his intention to “roll out” the Guggenheim brand by opening museums with the iconic name all over the world. The American museum world coined this plan the McGuggenheim. In her 2005 article Social Thought and Commentary: Museums Globalization, professor Saloni Mathur suggests that museums were: “(…) perched precariously at the financial brink while over-marketing their collections and sacrificing their institutional integrity.” Due to its origins stemming from a focus on commercial and cultural tourism, the Bilbao museum may be seen as just another contribution to Krens’ intentions. The term Bilbao Effect was born shortly after the museum’s opening. It is way to describe the revitalization a city experiences after the construction of an architectural landmark. When used against Bilbao’s Guggenheim, it is often to suggest that the museum contributed to the gentrification and cultural imperialism of the area.

So… Culture or Capitalism?

There is no doubt that Gehry’s museum completely altered the city of Bilbao, transforming it into a tourism hub while also casting a long shadow over native Basque culture. However, the positive consequences of its construction cannot be ignored. Besides uplifting Bilbao’s economy, the Guggenheim shone the spotlight on a city that was once only known for its industrial past. Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim marked a revolutionary shift in architecture, showcasing the true power of design in urban renewal. His determination to break the rules of traditional architecture helped foster prosperity, reminding us to make bold decisions and follow our own independent path.

To conclude

Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum was undoubtedly a step in a new direction for architecture and urbanism as a whole. Despite its contribution to gentrification, the museum did not only bring tourism and popularity for the city of Bilbao, but a real conversation on how the laws of architecture can be successfully broken. Gehry’s Guggenheim reflects how capitalism and culture can coexist in a beautiful tension.

_{Featured Image: Guggenheim Bilbao}