Guggenheim Museum Bilbao

The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry.

The Museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spain, with an exhibition of 250 contemporary works of art.

Along the river

It's built alongside the Nervion River, which runs through the city of Bilbao to the Cantabrian Sea.

Architect Frank Gehry

The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation selected Frank Gehry as the architect, and its director, Thomas Krens, encouraged him to design something daring and innovative.

Random curves

The curves on the exterior of the building were intended to appear random.

Catching Light

The building is also designed to catch random light.

The interior

The interior is designed around a large, light-filled atrium with views of Bilbao's estuary and the surrounding hills of the Basque country.

In the style of Deconstructivism

When the museum opened to the public in 1997, it was immediately hailed as one of the world's most spectacular buildings in the style of Deconstructivism.