Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
The Guggenheim museum is a museum of modern and contemporary art. It was designed by American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Spain. The building was located alongside the Nervion river on a former industrial site. Frank Gehry’s design for Guggenheim museum showed a distinct sensitivity to the new museum surroundings. It makes the most of this location by forging a strong visual presence which makes the museum serves as a gateway to the city’s business and historical distinct.
At that time Spain was facing the challenge of changing from an industrial community into a high-service based community. Basque government suggested to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation that an art museum would be perfect. They would fund a Guggenheim Museum to be built in Bilbao's decrepit port area. Bilbao is one of the city important port, and a center for manufacturing, shipping, and commerce. The foundation selected Frank Gehry as the architect, and encourage him to design something innovative. The building was opened to the public in 1997 and it was accepted as one of the world most notable building in the style of Deconstructivism. It was accepted as a “signal moment in the architectural culture” because it represents "one of those rare moments when critics, academics, and the general public were all completely united about something".
It was not only change the way that architect and people think about museum, but it encouraged Bilbao’s economy which is surprisingly success. Guggenheim museum was understand as part of an economic redevelopment plan for the largest city, and has succeeded in creating iconic identity for Bilbao.
What make this building more interesting for me are not only outstanding curve shape and material on the outside of the building, but also how the building was constructed under the limitation of time and money. The building was constructed on time and budget, which is rare for architecture of this type. Frank Gehry described the three steps that lead to the successful construction of the museum in an interview in Harvard design Magazine. First, he made sure that what he called “organisation of the artist” controlled the construction to prevent political and business interest interfering with the design. He said that the design and construction was less about engineering than about an artistic vision. The building should look great, but also should not fall down. Second, he made sure that he had the detail and realistic cost before the construction. For the building like this, runaway budgets and over- optimism can make an incomplete structure, compromise architecture, and conflict between architect and commissioner. The last, he cooperative with CATIA Software to simplify construction by providing digital data that could be employed in manufacturing process, so controlling the cost. I think Frank Gehry’s processes are very interesting because he designed what he planned accurately, and did not change the design by any circumstance. I think this design thinking process can be applied to any project which we will do in the future.
The first topic will focus on simplicity and complexity in the building. It’s not easy to design a simple building because although the building is simple on the outside, it is still complex because of the aesthetic and the element.
It is risk to design the building which is very simple because it will create the lacking of expression of ideas and new invention. The building should not be simple because of the shape, but lacking necessary parts. The building can be simple because every part is useful, and no part is unnecessary. The Guggenheim Museum is the example of using technology to create an outstanding facade, and using swirling form that responded to a complex program.
Frank Gehry designed the museum with the use of the highly advanced software application.The software he used was CATIA software which was developed by French aeronautical firm Dassault to make his concept turn into reality. This program allow him to create a building with numerous curved and irregular surfaces that transform into a contemporary cathedral with sculpture-like structure. The form of the museum from above looks more like floral, while from the ground it looks more like a boat which provoked the past industrial life of the port of Bilbao. So you can say that the facade of the building was very complex in the process of construction.
So, the Guggenheim museum is not a simple building because of its design process and complicated process of construction. The simplicity building in architecture is not like everything in this building is always simple. Some building may look simple, but they are not simple in design processes.
Next, I will focus on the comparison between material and immaterial in this building. The architecture and material are considered to be together, however immaterial is also as important to architecture as material.
In order to fulfill the aesthetic requirements of Frank Gehry, three materials were used to form the exterior surfaces of the museum. These three cladding material are titanium, stone , and glass. The location of each material is not only define by the appearance of the exterior, but it is also related to different functions of the interior space. Titanium was represented the galleries, stones for facilities such as restaurant, library, and glass for the administration. So, Frank Gehry did not choose material randomly, but he choose it intentionally.
Titanium is the most interesting and original material for exterior. The main reason Frank Gehry used titanium as the main material because of its value of colour, texture, and its capability of reflecting the light. The Guggenheim museum was located right next to the Puente de la Salve Bridge which the low reflection of light was very important not to endanger the motorist with sun glare. Also, the important reason is titanium is cheaper and lighter than stainless steel. It is also have flexibility to the complex surfaces. Moreover, the thin sheets of titanium also give the free-flow areas of the building. The construction of the building is very complex. Almost every piece of titanium needed to be a different shape.
Stone is located on areas of the building that are more stationary. Frank Gehry does think too much about the stone requirement. The stones he wanted need to be amber colour, high resistance to erosion, possibilities of being able to cut pieces of reducing thickness, and high mechanical resistance. The towers are the most difficulties in the construction of the stone cladding. In order to cut each piece of stone properly, the contractor needed to use a computer program to generate the exact dimension, complex curves, and angle for each pieces. They are also use another machine to make sure that each pieces was in the right position.
Glass is the most important and tough difficulties in fabrication, structure and installation due to the unique and abnormal shapes of the curtain wall. These glass openings at the intersection of the various museum functions provide the visitor with an orientation to the city.
This is the conclusion from the cladding material I mentioned above. the system they used to support the cladding is simple since it need to be able to adjust all of the unusual shapes of all cladding pieces by using a simple hanging structure for the titanium and stone. This building is the case where we can see clearly that the unusual design was possible due to the technology and computers. Material were placed and gave a very cleared and visual effect.
Material is important because it creates the space and creates the form which later create the function which I mentioned before that Frank Gehry choose material according to function of the building. However, immaterial is creates the atmosphere and focus on the perception. In this building, Frank Gehry try to create the feeling of seeing the orientation of the city inside the atrium.
Architectural style are characterized by using ornament. Ornaments are very important because they make the building and structure become very identical. However, some architects said that ornament is not necessary. We called those architectures Austerity.
The Guggenheim museum was Deconstructivist style. So, I will start from what Deconstructivism looks like. Deconstructivism is a development of postmodern architecture. However, it is opposite to the limiting rules of modernism including material and purity of forms.
The characteristic of Deconstructivism is the idea of fragmentation. It also operates the surface and the cover of construction It is controlled by curvilinear shapes and has a feeling of controlled chaos and unpredictable shape. Deconstructivism also rejects the rule of ornament as an item of decoration unlike Greek and Roman architecture which have an ornament such as Doric and Ionic order.
Deconstructivism is in the era after the “Turning point” period. After this period, ornaments are considered to be unimportant as Adolf Loos said “ornament is crime”. Also, architect want to breaks the architecture tradition
I think that Guggenheim museum is no need to have ornaments like Greek and Roman Architecture because its shape and quality of material architect used for the museum are ornaments itself.
In one building, people may have many opinions. Someone thinks that it is honesty, while someone think that it is deception. So, the buildings have both honesty and deception. These arguments depend on what people focus on those buildings.
For me, According to John Ruskin, Guggenheim museum is deception in construction because it is not man made. The construction is constructed by using high technology. However, the material show the nature of itself, and use it properly to show the real quality. So, the building is honest about material.
For example, titanium which is a main material in the museum show the value of colour, texture, and ability to reflect the light, also it reveals the plastic value of flexibility. So, Frank Gehry decided to use titanium as a material of facade of the museum because he saw the quality of material, and use it in the best way.
Each people have their own perception about designing, and it depends on how each person choose to focus, or think about the used of material. There is no right, or wrong because many people create many opinion. Also, the material is not the only element that we should concern about in architecture. Materials can be related to the site, structure, and the decoration.
Form and Function is the topic that very important. The users are the one who decide the aesthetics of architecture whether they are useful or not. We can classify the building by using their appearance such as house, temple, etc.
Guggenheim Museum creates a sculpture-like sculpture, and this is a process of how to form the shape that create attention, and remain an icon, and a symbol for the region like this museum.
The design processes of Guggenheim Museum start with the complete series of sketch, which are then translated into hand-made models. The model then translated to a computer to solve the engineering problem.
Frank Gehry is well-known as an innovative architect, but what makes his work different from any other work is he approaches the problem as an artist instead of a traditional architect. So, site, and function are rarely depicted in the sketches. It is more like the sketches is an initial idea. Once, he developed the form, he would be able to experiment materials, texture, interior, and exterior space. He does the experiment by creating the various scale of model which help to visualize the space.
Most buildings need to consider about function, purpose, and use. Guggenheim Museum is no exception. When we design the building, we should make the building show its function. Guggenheim Museum is doing well in using material and space to show its function. For example, glass is used for the administration, and atrium, and give the function of an atrium very well. The building was fail if it does not show the function.
Function can identify the building type as Form. For example, Guggenheim Museum need to function as a museum. Architect need to think about the space requirements for museum, and the fact that arts exhibition need to be larger.
Function can be more than one use. People who are inside the museum do not only looking at art collection, but they are also talking, walking, sitting, and they do many activities which we can’t predict. So, the space should be created to support these unpredictable activity too.
It can be concluded that Gehry’s work begins with form, and the function adapts to it.
The next topic is Body and Building which focus on human scale, and human activity inside the building.
Human scale is the main element when we design the buildings because we create the building to comfort human. If the building is not built following the human scale, this building is quite useless, and failed because it is not comfortable to use. Guggenheim museum is built for the art galleries, so it needs to consider the space between art collection, and people who coming to see the art. It should not be so far that people can not see the artwork, and should not be so close that people carelessly touch it and destroy an important artwork.
Proportion and organisation is also the important part that should be considered when we design the building.
Frank Gehry might be considered as Deconstructionist because his work defeats the theories how the building could and should be constructed. His impact on the history is like Palladio’s. If we want to give the reason why Frank Gehry’s work is ground-breaking. He breaks from the long-standing architectural tradition that form should follow function.
Natural and Constructed is about the site that the building located at. Site is unfinished work, and can not be abandoned. It is also consists of political, and logical motivation.
The site of this building is located alongside the Nervion river on a former industrial site. The museum is located in a newly developed area, leaving its industrial part behind. The site allow people to walk all the way around the Museum, admiring different configurations from each perspective and also a number of artworks installed outside by artists.
Context and building is the last topic that I will talk about. The word”context” means the environment around the site that makes architect knows more about the surroundings before they start to do the design project.
Bilbao is one of the city important port, and a center for manufacturing, shipping, and commerce. A road and railway line is to the south, the river to the north, and the concrete structure of the Salve Bridge to the east. Making a tangible physical connection with the city, the building circulates and extrudes around the Salve Bridge, creates a curved riverside promenade, and forms a generous new public plaza on the south side of the site where the city grid ends. The building alludes landscapes, such as the narrow passageway to the main entrance hall reminiscent of a gorge, or the curved walkway and water features in response to the Nervión Rive. The building is also considered the purpose, and the the context of building. It is doing well in trying to make the building fit to the context, and make it an iconic building.
In conclusion, Guggenheim Museum is an outstanding architecture as well as a museum design.It is a icon for the proud city of Bilbao,and successfully make Bilbao a tourist destination. Actually, Gehry was seen as controversial and a little bit odd, but after the success of the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, he was suddenly accepted as a genius.
Reference
Brian P., AD Classics : The Guggenheim Bilbao/ Frank Gehry, 1/09/2013, http://www.archdaily.com/422470/ad-classics-the-guggenheim-museum-bilbao-frank-gehry
Frank O. G (1997 December)., Guggenheim Museum
JG Ballard , The larval stage of a new kind of architecture, 8/10/2017 ,
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2007/oct/08/architecture.bilbao
Guggenheim Museum(Bilbao), http://www.guggenheim.org/guggenheim-foundation/architecture/bilbao
Karine H. , Form and Process : Guggenheim Bilbao, 6/07/2012, http://iecon.com/blog/?p=716
Katie C., Marita N., Anna S., AN EVALUATION OF THE CLADDING MATERIALS
Noah C.(11/02/2011), Inside the Masterpiece: Frank Gehry’s “Guggenheim Museum Bilbao”
http://www.guggenheim-bilbao.es/en/the-building/