Bilbao, Spain

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao opened in 1997 as part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation's international network. Frank Gehry's titanium-clad, sculptural building on the Nervión River was commissioned as the centerpiece of an ambitious plan to regenerate the post-industrial Basque city. The project was so successful at drawing visitors and investment that the phrase "the Bilbao effect" entered the vocabulary of urban planning. The museum presents modern and contemporary art, large-scale installations — including Richard Serra's permanently installed "The Matter of Time" — and major touring exhibitions drawn from across the Guggenheim constellation. Its relevance lies in being one of the most influential museum projects of the late twentieth century: enduring proof of architecture's power to transform a city's identity and economy.

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art in Bilbao, Biscay, Spain. It is one of several museums affiliated to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation and features permanent and visiting exhibits of works by Spanish and international artists. It was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art. It is one of the largest museums in Spain. Source: Wikipedia