architecture enlightens life

I’ve no written any posts while I’m so free, well at least I spent my time drawing the mesiniaga tower model from sketchup. you can check it out on the sketchup 3d warehouse.

oh right, if you are wondering why am I writing a post on the famed frank gehry’s guggenheim bilbao now while it was built in 1997 (like, 11 years ago) - let me tell you that the architectural maturity in malaysia is lagged for ten to fifteen years behind the global era. don’t believe it? imagine this; I only found out what guggenheim bilbao is all about three years ago in 2005, when its popularity blew out in 1999. just reminds me of a quote in HIMYM;

“1980s did not arrive to canada until 1990s.”

well, in malaysian perspective i suppose;

“1980s did not arrive to malaysia until 2000s.”

anyhow, for me any architectural blog is never an architectural blog without a reference towards this guggenheim bilbao.

some introduction of course; guggenheim bilbao for those that still doesn’t know about it (YES, this is possible in malaysia) - is a cultural phenomenon so famous that the bilbao virtually do not exist before the existence of the frank gehry’s guggenheim. some article quoted that the time in bilbao can now be regarded as BG and AG (before guggenheim & after guggenheim), and millions of tourists flocked to bilbao just to visit that museum, the sole and probably only attraction in the city.

in 1999, the popularity of guggenheim bilbao rocked towards the roof, various magazines featured the museum and this work has earned frank gehry, a starchitect title. so, let me remind you - architectural work can really put a place back on the world map. and my friends, guggenheim bilbao is proudly added to my ‘must visit buildings before I die’ list.

so what made this building (or is it really a building? or just a piece of art?) so insanely famous? well, in my personal opinion, frank gehry successfully tackled the first impression of the observer/viewer. so successful he did that, any person that glanced a brief view either directly or indirectly through mass media towards guggenheim bilbao, the impression will stuck to one’s memory forever. he effectively manipulated our love for the ’special’, the ‘unique’ and the ‘random’ among the mass with extreme contradiction of our perception towards the so-modernist, blockey buildings.

and look, there is not even a right-angled visible in the guggenheim bilbao, and the material, from titanium cladding is so contradictory, yet capture our love for the reflection of light or the glimmering sort of characteristics.

BUT, that is just our first impression. every ups had downs as well. guggenheim bilbao might be ranked 6 stars for popularity or attention-attracting, but not other considerations.

so what is the true story, the backside of guggenheim bilbao?

guggenheim bilbao is also heavy in its criticism. look, the architectural forms might be great, but not for its architectural spaces. it has been claimed by many that guggenheim bilbao is very uninviting in up close distances. the monumentary scale just simply forgot the relationship towards human perception. the space facing the river (in the picture) is so unfriendly that there were not even a few people there. (look at all the guggenheim bilbao photos, there isn’t a single person in front of the museum).

and according to the story of the photographer of the picture above, the lone-looking young guy is actually a criminal, mugging from some old couple nearby. eh, never heard guggenheim bilbao would prompt more crimes huh?

and this picture explains the security camera. architecture that prompts problems instead of solving problems.

how ‘user-friendly’ the zigzag railings are. and the staircase actually tire visitors out as they have to use the same foot for each step.

all in all, I do admire the attention frank gehry brought to bilbao, and how he used the first impression so effectively. but in second thought, I dislike the ‘randomness’ in architecture, not really on the forms itself, but more towards the design process. for me, architecture maybe a piece of art, but art is not really architecture. frank gehry, in my view is too artsy.

below is a clip I uploaded from the documentary sketches of frank gehry. see how frank gehry really create his curvilinear forms, and it’s just too random, not objective-oriented design process that architecture should be.

and this ends with a quote;

“that is so stupid-looking it’s great” - frank gehry

bits that might interest you;

• guggenheim bilbao: the criticism from PPS

considering to visit guggenheim museum? try bilbao hotels for more information.

• Read More »