technology

The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain, is Frank Gehry’s masterpiece. I will never forget watching the documentary that recorded architect, historian and critic Philip Johnson’s first visit to the building. He broke down in tears and could not gather himself for quite some time. Johnson later declared Gehry’s work the “greatest building of our time.” Remarkably, the museum is often credited for revitalizing Bilbao’s economy and establishing it as a legitimate European cultural center. The museum attracts millions of visitors every year and has more than paid for itself through collected taxes. Very few works of architecture come close to this extraordinary level of multifaceted success.  The largest exhibition space in the 350,000 square foot facility is dedicated to an epic installation by sculptor Richard Serra. It is fitting that these two makers, who utilize ship-building technology, would achieve such symbiotic harmony in Bilbao — a city with a rich connection to the industry.

Euskalduna was the historic ship-building company that operated in Bilbao from 1900-1984. 

The image shown here is a rarely photographed yet critical element in the sprawling complex. It stretches underneath an adjacent bridge and then soars into the sky. The tower makes a dramatic and arguably excessive pedestrian connection from the bridge to the river front. It serves largely as a monument or landmark of sorts. On the opposite side of the bridge, the side of the tower facing away from the museum appears solid and opaque, clad in elegantly curved limestone panels. The curved surfaces split at the very top of the tower, as if opening to the heavens. On the opposite side the tower exposes its structure, connections and the technology used to construct the doubly curved surfaces of the museum. This is where the buildings secrets are revealed. It is where one sees technology and artistry working together to achieve a masterful coherence.