Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (Guggenheim Museum) in New York
One of the most famous museums in New York is the Guggenheim Museum, which is located opposite Central Park at 1071 Fifth Avenue (89th Street). The provocative museum complex was created by the architect Frank Wright with funds from the Fund of the Art Patron. Painstaking work on the futuristic pyramidal tower was carried out from 1937 to 1959, construction work was completed after the death of both like-minded people.
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Wright has successfully changed the traditional way of thinking about museums and the display system. Externally, the building resembles an inverted cone. First, the experimenter takes the visitors by elevator to the seventh floor, after which the spectators slowly descend the spiral ramp and evaluate the exhibits presented at the exhibitions in the halls.
What is the Guggenheim Museum famous for?
The stunning building of the Guggenheim Museum houses an outstanding collection of contemporary art. Read the details in this article.
Guggenheim Museum in New York. Building architecture
The museum building itself is of great interest due to its unusual architecture. The appearance of the museum, even after 60 years, is still eye-catching and gives the impression of ultra-modern construction and high-tech architecture.
The museum is a space with two atriums, placed on a massive base - the line of the second floor. The small atrium in the left wing of the museum is divided in the middle by a concrete strip and the main atrium in the right wing with a facade in the form of four spiraling and rising concrete strips.
The shape of the large atrium imitating a tornado or a clam shell is also a successful functional application - the internal architecture continues the external - a six-level ramp runs along the entire height of the atrium, from the first to the sixth floor.
For a museum, this is the creation of a successful exhibition space - a continuous wall for expositions. It is recommended to start viewing the exhibition by going up to the 6th floor by elevator and going down the ramp to the 1st level.
For architecture, this is an example of creating an internal space of planes that create and control the vector of movement of visitors.
Museum building:
At first glance, you might think that this futuristic building was built quite recently. In fact, its construction was completed in 1959. The famous and talented Frank Lloyd Wright was the architect of the project. Outwardly, this building is still admired. Its peculiarity is that the upper rings are much larger than the lower ones. This masterpiece by Wright looks like an inverted pyramid or a spaceship rushing into the sky. Entering the inside of the museum, you will also be pleasantly surprised. Instead of fires, you will walk along a huge spiral being built.See also: how to get a taxi in nyc?
History of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum:
The history of the museum dates back to the creation of the Guggenheim Foundation in 1937. The original S. Guggenheim commissioned Baroness Hilla von Rebay, who emigrated from Germany, to organize the Museum of Non-Objective Painting. By opening their collection to the public, the Guggenheim hoped to draw American attention to the creative pursuits of abstract artists such as Kandinsky and Mondrian.In June 1943, Hilla von Rebay commissioned the construction of a new museum building for 76-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright, America's most famous architect. A plot was allocated for construction next to the huge green area of Central Park between 88th and 89th Streets on Fifth Avenue. A technical white building with unusual rounded shapes, Wright moved away from all existing models of the Museum of Architecture. It was assumed that visitors to the elevator would take off to the topmost floor and an internal continuous spiral downward, looking at the exposition, on the platform and in the adjacent rooms. Wright said that after construction, next to the Metropolitan Museum of Art will look like a threshing floor. The museum building has indeed become one of the "icons" of 20th century architecture, generating a lot of rave reviews.
In the 1950s. the museum, in an effort to expand the circle of potential visitors, was filled with plastic works of not only painting, but also sculptures, photographs and even post-impressionist works of the late "1012110th century. The construction of the museum building in the form of an inverted pyramid tower was completed in the 19th, when Solomon Guggenheim and Frank Wright were no longer alive in 1959 From 1961 until the museum was supervised by Thomas Messer 1988 the museum was visited In 2013, a part of the collection is periodically exhibited in other museums, such as the Guggenheim Foundation in Bilbao.
Interesting facts about the Guggenheim Museum:
- Frank Lloyd Wright wanted the building to be clad in marble in the architect's "original" color, Cherokee Red, while Wright considered red to be the color of creation - Frank Lloyd Wright: Red is the color of creation.
- The idea was not approved either by the client of the project, Solomon Guggenheim, or by his personal art consultant Hilla von Rebay.
- For the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Wright, the architect of the building of the LEGO museum, they created a model of one of his most famous works. Inside there are 744 pieces of various shapes that can be assembled into a great creation of an architect with all the main elements including the famous spiral and the inscription The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum above the main entrance.
- The idea of the architecture of the large atrium is borrowed from the Bramante stairs from the Vatican Museum.
- Ladder with a triangular ascent line - inside the building with rounded shapes and smooth lines there are strict geometric shapes.
- One of the conditions for the implementation of the project was the location of the museum building in the city center and near the forest. The place was chosen perfectly - opposite the central park, in the very center of the city.
- Some artists of that time did not like the architecture of the museum, and they refused to exhibit in this museum, explaining that the architecture of the museum would distract the attention of visitors from their works.
- Exhibition "Russia" - the most complete exhibition of Russian art outside Russia since the end of the Cold War was held at the museum in 2005.
- The inner atrium is used to create exhibitions.
- Photo of the main participants of the project next to the model of the museum building - from left to right: Frank Lloyd Wright, Hilla von Rebay, Solomon Guggenheim.
How to get to the Guggenheim Museum in New York:
In 10-15 minutes walk there are metro stations with the same name "86 Street". They are located on opposite sides of Fifth Avenue:Lexington Ave (east) - lines 4, 5, 6.
Central Park West (west) - lines A, B, C.
Almost opposite the main entrance to the museum there is a stop "5th Avenue / 90th Street". It can be reached by buses М1, М2, М3, М4. The same routes continue to the Madison Avenue / 89 Street stop, which is parallel to Fifth Avenue, a 3-minute walk to the Solomon Guggenheim Museum.
How long should you spend on visiting the Guggenheim Museum?
Of course, you can spend the whole day in the museum, but depending on the exhibitions, I would recommend 1.5-2 hours.
Opening hours:
The museum accepts guests 5 days a week from 10:00 to 17:45 (on Saturdays until 19:45). Closed on Thursday and holidays. Information can be obtained by phone: Before planning an excursion program, you should call the indicated numbers and clarify if there are any changes in the program. Otherwise, there is a chance to get on the change of installations and spoil your mood. You can study the poster of the exhibitions held on the official website of the museum: www.guggenheim.org/new-york Here, the organizers of the presentations promptly display information about possible unforeseen circumstances or the premature closure of the institution.Is the entrance to the Guggenheim Museum free?
It is recommended to buy tickets for the Guggenheim Museum in advance online as the queues can be long.
Ticket prices:
World masterpieces are priceless, but their maintenance and care require investment. This explains the paid entrance to the museum.How much is a ticket to the Guggenheim Museum?
There are different ticket categories available at the Guggenheim Museum. Save with the Tourist Discount Card!
The cost of visiting the Guggenheim Museum in New York:
For adults - $ 25.
For students and people over 65 - $ 18.
For children under 12 years old - free.
On Saturdays, from 16:00 to 18:00, the museum runs a "free fee" action. At this time, the cost of entry is regulated by the visitors themselves. However, there is a recommended amount - $ 10. Payment for the promotion is made in cash only.
Address: New York, 5th Ave, 1071, adjacent to Central Park between 88th and 89th Streets. You can get there by metro, getting off at the station "86th Street".
Tel : +1 (212) 423-35-00
Website: https://www.guggenheim.org/
