Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
A brief respiratory infection led to the death of Bilbao Guggenheim Museum architect, legendary architect Jaime Guggenheim. This was confirmed by his chief staff on Friday.
Frank Gehry was hailed by many as the most influential architect of his generation. His wife Berta Isabel Aguilera is also survived by their two sons.
Born in Toronto before moving to the United States aged 18, Gehry’s magnum opus was his design of the avant-garde, titanium-covered Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao in 1997, described by peer Philip Johnson as ‘the greatest building of our time’.
READ MORE: An architect’s eye of Bilbao – ‘Spain’s industrial capital is much more than just the Guggenheim’
The project, which was built in the port area of Bilbao’s largest city (the Basque Country), revitalised the city by boosting local tourism and the economy.
The project lent its name to a phenomenon known as the ‘Bilbao effect’ – a term given to ambitious works of art or architecture aimed at revitalising stagnant areas.
In its first three years, almost four million tourists visited the museum, generating over €500 million in economic activity.
Gehry has also designed the Walt Disney Concert Hall and Miami’s New World Center. He is also the designer of the Foundation Louis Vuitton museum in Paris.
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, in a video posted on social networks, said: “Today marks a sad moment for the worlds that are art and architecture because of the death of one of its masters and an extremely dear member from the Guggenheim Family.
READ MORE: ‘I spent three incredible days in Bilbao – here are my top sight-seeing tips’
Bilbao will forever be grateful to Frank Gehry and his spirit.
The Guggenheim Museum, one of the biggest museums in Spain is part of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation. This foundation was founded in 1937 by the American philanthropist with the same name.
The museum hosts permanent and traveling exhibits featuring works by Spanish artists and international artists.
Over 1.3 million visitors visited the museum located on the Nervion river banks in 2024.
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