Table of ContentsIntroductionDescriptionLiterature review and argumentConclusionBibliographyIntroductionThis text will discuss the success of Frank Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain (1997) and explain why it is not only a structure with great aesthetic properties, but has also had a profoundly positive impact on the surrounding city's economy and overall perception. This makes the Guggenheim Bilbao an extremely successful architectural work. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why violent video games should not be banned"? Get the original essay The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao was part of an ambitious urban renewal program designed by the Basque regional government due to the aging of the port and the city's industrial center which had experienced significant economic decline during the 1980s. However, since its opening in 1997, the museum has captured the local and international imagination. For the traveling public, it’s an “Instagrammable” art show and museum; for politicians, urban planners, architects and museum directors, it represents the capacity of cultural institutions to regenerate dilapidated regions. Although the museum combines innovative design and cutting-edge technology to create an attractive backdrop for the artworks displayed inside, the great success of the Guggenheim is that it demonstrates the impact that visual arts can have on a city's ability to attract cultural visitors while having a positive impact. change your own psychology. The museum brought hope to citizens and municipal authorities and united political parties, unions and civic associations in a vast urban regeneration still underway.DescriptionThe Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, designed by American architect Frank Gehry , opened in October 1997. The Guggenheim Bilbao, reminiscent of a gigantic sculpted ship, evokes the past industrial life of Bilbao's port and is anchored on an irregularly shaped plot of land on the south side of an estuary along the river Nervion. Establishing a tangible physical connection to the city, the building flows and extends around the Salve Bridge, and creates a curving riverside promenade and public square on the south side of the river, where the network of the river ends. city. The museum covers 24,000 square meters, of which 11,000 are reserved for exhibition space. In plan, ten of the nineteen galleries follow a classic rectangular shape and can be identified externally by the Spanish limestone finish. The rest of the galleries are formed from random organic shapes and are clad in titanium tiles less than 1mm thick, creating an interesting juxtaposition with the orthogonal galleries. A metal pin is placed in the center of each titanium plate, making the surface appear to be undulating. the changing light, giving a soft and elusive reflection. This undulating shape is specially designed to reflect light and appears to change its appearance depending on Bilbao's unpredictable weather conditions. There is no clearly defined pattern of symmetry on any axis of the structure and the design is expressed freely and somewhat randomly. Each piece is placed at different heights and no two are the same size, but many are very similar conceptually. All sections of the building seem to converge somewhere in the center, like a lotus flower. The central atrium serves as a point of entry, convergence and orientation. This space consists of a large, open, curved volume flooded with natural light, is surrounded by large glass curtain walls and is crowned with a largeskylight. The three levels of galleries pirouette around this central space. Gehry used 3D design software called CATIA to design the museum structure's sinuous curves; this enabled complex designs and calculations that would not otherwise be possible. Essentially, the software digitizes points on the edges, surfaces, and intersections of Gehry's hand-built models to construct on-screen versions that can then be manipulated. Literature Review and Argumentation In this section, I will review some texts that discuss and review the Guggenheim Bilbao, paying particular attention to the socio-economic impact of the museum on the surrounding region and explaining why these factors make the Guggenheim a successful architectural work. In the article Is the Bilbao effect over? Sociologist Vicario says that as a symbol, the success of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is extremely evident. The building is today the icon of revitalized Bilbao and has put the city on the map for tourists around the world. While the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao was an expensive undertaking (total cost $228.3 million), its return on investment was complete just seven years after its opening. Since its opening in October 1997, the Guggenheim Museum has attracted 7 million visitors, 60 percent of whom come from Spain. In 2008, it already had nearly 16,000 individual members, the third largest membership in Europe after those of historical museums, the Louvre and the Tate Gallery. This figure has undoubtedly increased exponentially in the 9 years since this figure was first calculated. In addition, the money spent by visitors on hotels, restaurants, shops and transportation collected 100 million in taxes. Figures show that since the museum opened, it has created 907 new full-time jobs, while helping to maintain around 4,500 jobs, mainly in transport, hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes and retail outlets. In addition, it has added a value to Bilbao of more than 1.2 million euros and brings approximately 39.9 million dollars per year to the Basque Treasury, which has increased local fiscal capacity and generated revenues. tax revenue close to 200 million euros. The widespread success of the Guggenheim project is also considered by the museum's director, Juan Ignacio Vidarte. He says the Guggenheim's success isn't just about economic factors; “The Guggenheim effect was also psychological: it contributed to the restoration of civic pride. The museum gave citizens and politicians the courage to keep moving forward and be courageous. » On the other hand, Vicario affirms that despite the apparent economic and psychological gain caused by the Guggenheim Bilbao, recent figures on the rise of inequalities and poverty in the city do not allow the Bilbao model to be considered a success. complete. Extreme poverty has increased by 33 percent in Bilbao since 2000 and affected 11 percent of Bilbao households in 2017, a figure that is double the Basque Country average. Additionally, the number of households receiving income support has increased by 38 percent since 2002. There is more emphasis on downtown redevelopment projects at the expense of disadvantaged areas of the city. This has exacerbated socio-spatial disparities in Bilbao and increases the risk of being considered a “double city”. That is to say the idea of ​​the two Bilbaos: the “new” represented by the renovated city center, and the “old” by the tired and disadvantaged peripheral neighborhoods. To counter both sides of this argument, one could argue that the idea ofThe Guggenheim effect is an oversimplification, as multiple factors impacted the city. The city's regeneration had already been underway for over a decade, for example with the installation of a new metro system designed by Norman Foster in 1988. This was followed by the grand "Master Plan for Bilbao" of César Pelli in 1989, who suggested redeveloping abandoned neighborhoods. from industrial zones to zones for commercial, leisure and residential purposes. Additionally, Santiago Calatrava designed the Zubizuri Bridge which crosses the Nervión River not far from the museum and was inaugurated the same year. In 2000, the airport terminal designed by Santiago Calatrava was inaugurated. Bilbao has primarily used cultural investments and infrastructure designed by world-renowned architects to bring attention to the city and equal economic growth. Thus, the specific goal of the Guggenheim was solely to contribute to the already existing plan for the rejuvenation of the city. The Guggenheim is highly appreciated for its aesthetic characteristics. Architecture critic Herbert Muschamp reviewed the museum in The New York Times Magazine. He wrote that the museum was “the reincarnation of Marilyn Monroe.” What brings the actress and the building together is that both represent an American style of freedom. This style is voluptuous, emotional, intuitive and exhibitionist. It is mobile, fluid, material, changeable, fearless, radiant and as fragile as a newborn. This analogy clearly shows the astonishing impact the museum has on the viewer; its inherent nature is to be iconic and will not be easily forgotten. Part of the Guggenheim's success is that despite its unconventional design, it responds and engages positively within its context. This argument is supported by Warren Schwart, in the article Is the Bilbao Effect Over? which states that the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is successful because it dialogues with the psyche of the Basque people and with the context of their culture and place. Gehry used steel, stone, titanium and water in the design of this museum to reflect the strength, independence and industrial tradition of the Basque Country in which it is located. Piers Gough supports this in his article The Building as Jujitsu, stating that the museum is also seen as an abstract view of the surrounding buildings, the color, the quirks of style and their twists around the corners. Despite everyone's opinion on the aesthetic qualities of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, it cannot be denied that the socio-economic impact of the museum has been astonishing. In summary, the cost of the museum has been repaid many times over. Clearly, the world was inexorably drawn to the glittering excitement of its exterior and the powerful dynamism of its interior spaces. Conclusion The Guggenheim in Bilbao is an attractive building because of its technological and aesthetic sophistication and its striking presence. It is a very complex, active sculptural form, with elements extending in unexpected directions with curved planes that appear to float in space. The structure is unexpected, expressive and undoubtedly impresses everyone who experiences it. Additionally, the building encourages enjoyment of art, so that even if the viewer is amazed, they are not overwhelmed. Despite other factors that may have contributed to the revitalization of Bilbao, the impact of the Guggenheim is indisputable. The museum cemented the idea that good architecture could create a powerful force of cultural appeal. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized article from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Adrian Ellis of Art Newspaper quotes: "Bilbao" has become shorthand for the reincarnation of a city or a. 5 (1999)